Against All Tides
by SailorSunstar
Summary: Since Stella was six years old, she has wanted to find the Zora that saved her life. But, her father forbids her from going anywhere near them. Now she is sixteen and determined to find him, but she unknowingly turns her life around. The lives of her loved ones are in danger now and she will need help saving them.
1. Prologue

**Against All Tides**

**Prologue: A Sinking Feeling**

The first time I saw the beauty of Lake Hylia, I was only six years old. Seeing the sunrays reflecting off of the surface of that pristine blue water instantly took my breath away. My parents and I were going on a picnic that day for the first time since they were finally able to get time away from their work. My father was the blacksmith of Kakariko Village where we lived and my mother was a seamstress. They were always busy with orders to fill.

"Stella, do not stray afar and stay away from the deep waters of the lake." Mother warned with a stern gaze.

"Yes mother," I replied with an enthusiastic nod, earning a chuckle from her.

"Elaine, let the poor child go and play; she will be fine." Father said after retrieving all our things from the horses.

Mother turned to face him and reasoned, "This is a big lake, Harold, and she does not know how to swim. I am only worried for her safety."

Coming over and kissing mother's forehead, he replied, "I know, darling, but let her have some fun."

"I promise to be careful, mother," I plead with her impatiently.

She smiles softly at me, "Oh alright, but only if you are careful."

Squealing with delight, I scurried off toward the lake in excitement. The wind caressed my tan face as it whipped through my golden brown hair. Reaching the lakes edge, I began to admire the colorful flowers. A splash of water drew my attention away from the flowers and to the rippling water. Cautiously I peered over the edge where the ripples danced on the surface of the water. A white figure moved under the water but it was too fast for me to see.

As my curiousity got the best of me, I leaned closer to the shimmering blue lakefor a better look. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet gave away and I plunged into the icy cold depths of Lake Hylia. My heart began to race as I flailed my arms around in an attempt to swim. But it was no use, my body only sank deeper to the bottom and my lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen. Black spots obscurred my vision and bubbles escaped my mouth in one last cry for help.

As fear and darkness consumed me, a figure appeared before me. At first it looked human, but their skin was snow white with blue spots. Then I noticed the fins on various places of their body. They had piercing charcoal grey eyes that stared into my pleading emerald eyes before my vision went dark and I slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Later I woke up in my warm bed wrapped up in blankets with mother sitting in a chair at my bedside. Then I remembered what happened earlier that day and I began to weep. Mother instantly woke up and wrapped her loving arms around me in comfort. Father heard my crying and came into my room rushing to my side. After I stopped crying, mother went into the kitchen to fix some soup.

Father began to ask what had happened and I told him everything, even about the white figure. He tensed up immediately and looked straight into my eyes, "What you saw was a dangerous being known as a Zora and you must never go near one or the lake for that matter." In my heart I knew that wasn't true because I was sure that Zora had saved my life.

After that day, we never went to Lake Hylia again. Until I was sixteen years old when the greatest challenge of my life began to unfold.

* * *

**SailorSunstar:** _Hey readers, I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my very first story. I know it was short but I promise future chapters will be much longer. The next chapter will be up within a week. Thank you for reading and please leave a review._


	2. Reflection and Affliction

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter One: Reflection and Affliction**

The gentle breeze cools me off as I stood where I nearly drowned ten years ago. I slipped my boots off and laid them to the side. After slipping my boots off, I sat on the ledge and let my toes dip into the cold water of the lake. Memories of that past event flashed in my mind causing me to withdraw my feet from the water.

Despite my father's warning of the dangers the Zoras possess, I still felt compelled to come here. In hopes that someday I might meet the very Zora that saved my life. Since that day, I had felt a connection to this lake. Dreams of this lake and Zoras plagued me most nights but until now I had never came back.

A familiar whinny drew me from my thoughts and I turned around to see my golden palomino stallion, Topaz, grazing nearby. On my thirteenth birthday, father had taken me to Lon Lon Ranch and surprised me with that very horse. And I also became the best of friends with the ranch owner's daughter, Malon. The three of us have been inseperable since then.

"Hey, Topaz," I murmured to him, "are you enjoying yourself?"

He gave a soft nicker in response before a splash drew my attention to the water. Quickly scrambling to the edge, I peered over to see a white figure shrinking to the bottom of the lake. A weary sigh passed my lips as I leaned back onto the lush green grasss. As I gazed into the clear blue sky, my eyelids grew heavy and eventually sleep succumbed me. The sun sank closer to the horizon as day turned to evening.

A nudge slowly brought me out of the dream world and back to reality. Topaz stood over me sniffing my hair and I gently move his head away. I released a tired yawn as I put on my boots. As I stood up and observed the beautiful sunset, I realized how late it must be and that I was going to be late for supper. And if I was, my parents would surely ask where I had been all day.

Mounting Topaz, I took one last glance at the lake and nudged him into a gallop toward Hyrule field. The wind felt wonderful as it was an instant relief to the scorching sun. Topaz hooves thundered across the open field in a smooth rhythm. Occasionally he made a graceful jump over a tree log or a fence and I would giggle with excitement.

We finally arrived in Kakariko village with only half an hour of daylight left. I brought Topaz to a halt in front of our small barn and dismounted to led him inside of his stall. Quickly, I untacked him and scattered fresh hay among his quarters. After bidding him goodnight, I left the barn and headed for the house in a hurry.

"What's the hurry, sweetheart?" a chilling voice called from behind me.

Instantly turning to the direction the voice came from, I noticed a famliar young man with greasy black hair and dull brown eyes staring at me in a gross manner. "Sorry, Alec, but I don't have time to talk." I retorted with a glare.

He gave a mocking laugh while strolling up to my side and drapping his arm around me. "Don't be like that, sweetie. Maybe tomorrow we can go to the lake together." he whispered into my ear seductively.

Mortified, I roughly pushed him away and sprinted the rest of the way home. Before opening the front door, I realized just what he had said and froze. He knew where I had been today but that was impossible. Shaking away the chills that ran up my spine, I entered my home and prepared for the worst.

OoTOoTOoT

Thankfully my parents weren't mad at my tardiness for supper last night as I made the excuse of being with Malon all day. I visited Lon Lon Ranch quite often so they didn't think much of it. They were actually glad that I was spending time with my friend instead of staying at home all day.

A cooling mist covered the ground and dew littered the grass in the early morning as I made my way to the barn. Upon entering, Topaz peered over his stall door and gave a happy whinny. As I approached him, he nuzzled me affectionately and in return I rubbed his neck. While saddling him, footsteps echoed along the walls as someone appeared before Topaz's stall door. Assuming it was my father, I continued with the task at hand.

"So how about that trip to the lake, sweetheart?" the crooning voice of Alec asked.

I let out an exasperated sigh and mockingly answered, "How about no, _sweeheart_."

He released a booming laugh that startled Topaz and replied, "You are a sassy one, but I like that. Come on, we would have so much fun. Just the two of us alone."

I gently calm Topaz and glare at Alec while his beady eyes trail over my body. Shoving him out of the way, I led Topaz outside and mount as Alec followed. " You can have all the fun you want to by yourself because I'm not going anywhere with you." I spat back.

Leaving a stunned Alec behind, I headed across Hyrule field for Lake Hylia. Sweat was already forming on my brow from the bright morning sun. I gave Topaz a light kick to urge him into a gallop and he obliged with an excited whinny. A laugh escaped my lips and I throw my head back while the wind whipped my hair in every direction.

Within an hour we made it to the lake and I easily jumped down from Topaz's back with a light thud to the ground. I took a deep breath of fresh air and approached the lake shore to admire the reflective water. After removing my boots, I slipped into the refreshingly cool water and relax. The water was calming as I floated on the surface and let the waves carry away my every fear and anxiety.

After a while I swam to the edge of an inlet to return back to land and nestled under a nearby tree. A few crows perched on the branches above me and observed my movements cautiously. I bathed in the midmorning sun and began to drift off, but a noise awakened me before I fell asleep. My head pivets in every direction to find the source of the noise and I finally see the swarm of crows above me.

The crow closest to me swoops down and nearly clips my head before I swiftly dodged it. The others follow suit causing me to immediately flee from the area. I searched for Topaz so that I could grab my sword from the saddle and fight off the crazed birds. A sword my father had given me to defend myself if necessary and with it basic sword lessons.

Unfortunately, I was too slow and Topaz was too far away. The crows caught up to me and began to attack me repeatedly. Screaming in agony, I dropped to the ground and covered my head for protection. Just as I thought I couldn't handle it any longer, something whirled over my head. Some of them dropped to the ground and vanished while the others flew off into the sky.

My body trembled from the searing pain in my hands, back, and legs. Then I noticed the blood on my hands and legs from the sraps and gashes the birds had delivered. A container filled with green liquid was shoved in my face and I first noticed the white hand holding the item. My eyes trailed up the hand and along the arm to finally meet the charcoal grey eyes of a male Zora. Memories flashed before me and I'm once again sinking into the depths of the lake as a last cry for help escaped my lips and a white figure extends his hand toward me. Then darkness enveloped me.

* * *

**SailorSunstar: **_Hey, readers, I hope you enjoyed chapter one! So Stella finds herself in another sticky situation but luckily someone was there to save her again. But who was it that helped her...stay tuned to find out in chapter two which I will try to have out next week. And am I the only one that found those crows super annoying in the game? Thanks for reading and please review!_


	3. Once Again

Against All Tides

Chapter Two: Once Again

Nightmares of drowning and being eaten alive by crows plagued my unconcious mind until I couldn't stand it any longer. Then I was in complete darkness for a long time until a light finally appeared. It shined brighter until it completely blinded me with its warmth and radiance. A soothing voice began to serenade me into a calming state. My mind slowly returned to conciousness and the voice was gone as quickly as it came. Carefully, I moved to a sitting position but pain rushed through my body as I did so. I let out a hiss as tried to bite back the tears that were forming at the corners of my eyes.

My ears perked at the sound of quick footsteps that were getting louder as they grew closer to me. Within a few seconds, a young male Zora stood in front of me with a concerned look and examined me. He held a fishbone spear in his hand that was adorned with beads and strings of various colors. After assessing my condition, he reached into his satchel attached to a belt that tied around his waist. He extracted a container filled with green liquid and handed it to me. I warely glanced at the potion and then to the Zora before accepting it.

"You should feel better in a few minutes after drinking that." he informed in a deep aquatic voice that brought goosebumps to my skin.

"Thank you." I said before choking down the bitter liquid in the bottle. Grimacing, I gave the empty container back the Zora and coughed as the taste lingered in my mouth. He smirked as he returned the bottle to his satchel.

"Sorry but that's the only flavor it comes in." he chuckled and I couldn't help but join in the laughter.

After our laughter died down, I remembered something, "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Stella of Kakariko Village."

"Nice to meet you, Stella. I'm Kaelin, a warrior of Zora's Domain." he introduced with an outstretched hand.

I shook his hand and replied, "Likewise, Kaelin. Thank you for saving me earlier. I'm beginning to think this lake doesn't like me very much."

With a confused look, he asked, "Why would you say that?"

I retold the story of my past experience here and added, "I've wanted to meet the Zora that saved my life for so long now, but who am I kidding. What are the odds of meeting him after all these years?"

Kaelin was gazing off into the distance thoughtfully during the whole story. After I finished, he turned to me with a big grin. "I'd say the odds are pretty good because your looking at him."

My heart nearly lept from my throat as I tried to compute the words he just said over and over again in my mind. I gave him a inquiring look which he responded by nodding his head with a huge smile. Then I too broke out into a huge grin as tears of joy spilled from my eyes. This surprised Kaelin as he tried to calm me with soothing words and soft pats on my back.

I chuckled at his nervous attempts and said, "Thank you, Kaelin. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here today. I don't think there is any way I could possibly repay you for all you've done for me."

"Your welcome, Stella. I didn't mind saving you at all, but if you feel you must repay me then you can." he answered almost nervously.

"How?" I quickly asked as he looked at the ground with what I thought was a blush.

He looked back up with a smile plastered to his face and responded, "By being my friend and visiting me here at the lake from time to time."

I matched his smile and agreed, "Really? I would love that!"

A splash brought us out of our conversation and to the lake as a Zora poked his head from the surface. Kaelin excused himself as he made his way over to his fellow Zora. My mind was still reeling from the previous events and I let out a silent giggle. I stood up and noticed my golden horse not far away so I walked to where he was and stroked his nose. Topaz gave me a happy whinny as he nudged my hand. Kaelin soon joined us and rubbed the stallion's neck.

"What a beautiful horse you have. I don't think I've ever seen one of this breed." Kaelin commented as he patted Topaz's neck. Topaz enjoyed this and nudged Kaelin with his head.

"Thank you. His name is Topaz and I'm lucky to have such a good horse." I replied as I tickled his soft muzzle.

Kaelin gave a soft smile before turning serious, "That was my comrade that appeared earlier. He said there have been some disturbances in the domain so I'm afraid I'll have to go now."

"I understand, but I hope it's nothing too serious." I tried to hide the anxiety in my voice.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing but a few troublemakers that we need to straighten out." he explained in a relaxed tone since he apparrentlly picked up on my distsress.

"Okay. I should probably head back home anyway." I said and mounted Topaz in one swift movement.

Kaelin nodded and said, "I'll see you later then and be careful."

"You too. See you later!" I yelled with a wave goodbye as I rode off into the grassy fields of Hyrule.

My emotions were soaring as high as the sky itself while I thought of everything that happened toady. A squeal of joy errupted from me and I nudged Topaz into a full gallop. He gladly lept over every obstacle with ease as we neared our destination. Soon I brought Topaz to a halt in front of a big gate with a sign hanging from the top that read: Lon Lon Ranch. Excitement rose up inside of me as I search for my best friend. She stood within the ranch's corral petting a beautful chesnut horse. I called out to the strawberry blonde who turned around with an excited smile on her face. She quickly made her way over to us as I dismounted Topaz to meet her.

"I'm glad you finally found time to visit your best friend," she chuckled before giving me a big hug.

"I'm sorry, Malon, but I've been kind of busy." I apologized with an innocent smile.

She gave a hearty laugh and replied, "Don't worry about it, but you had better spill the beans and tell me what kept you busy."

"Okay, but can we go inside and get something to eat?" I pleaded as my stomach gave a loud growl.

Malon chuckled as we entered the ranch house and made our way to the kitchen. We made some cold cut sandwhiches and poured some of Lon Lon's famous milk before setting at the table to talk. As we ate, I told my best friend everything that had happened yesterday and today. Her mouth was agap as I finished talking and swallowed the last bite of my sandwhich.

"I can't believe I finally found him, Malon!" I exclaimed with a excitement in my voice.

"You were attacked by crows!" she cried after coming out of her momentary shock and began examining my wounds.

"They don't really hurt anymore since I took that potion." I tried to calm her as she pulled some bandages and ointments from a cabinet.

She applied ointment to the scrapes as she scolded me, "You also need to wrap them up so they don't get don't worry Dr. Malon will take care of you."

We both laughed as she continued to dress my wounds and I immediately thought of my parents. "Oh no, how can I possibly explain this to my parents!" I panicked while I racked my brain for an excuse.

"Calm down, Stella. I'm sure we can think of something." she reasoned and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I know! You can just tell them that you fell off Topaz while we were racing."

"That's great! Surely they will believe that." I agreed with a sigh of relief and Malon gave a satisfied nod.

We headed to the corral after cleaning up the remains of our lunch. Once there I noticed Topaz grazing beside the same chesnut mare, Epona. Malon had recieved her as a gift on her tenth birthday just as I had gotten Topaz. We couldn't help but giggle at the adorable couple. They perked their heads up at the sound of our voices and walked over to us. An idea struck me as I remembered my earlier conversation with Malon.

"I have an idea. Why don't we have a race?" I asked with a mischievous grin.

Malon matched my grin and answered, "You're on! But be prepared to lose."

I laughed at her and we mounted our steads with professional ease. We lined up at the start and agreed that whoever made it all the way around the outside of the corral first would win. Together we counted to three and kicked our horses into a gallop. Malon and I were neck and neck as our horses gracefully lept over the first few jumps. Then Topaz hesitated at the next fence that was much bigger than the others which caused us to fall behind a few feet. I spoke soothing and encouraging words to him and he picked his pace back up as we soared over the obstacle. On the last stretch, I urged Topaz to go faster to catch up with our opponents. We finally made it to their side as I turned to give Malon a playful smirk before pushing Topaz onward to pass them and cross the finish line. I come to a stop and rubbed Topaz's neck as I praised him for his good work. Malon stopped beside me and praised Epona as well.

"Good job, Stella, I thought I had you beat at that last jump." she congratulated while dismounting Epona and leading her to the corral.

As I followed suit, I responded, "Thanks, Malon, I thought you had me too but I wasn't going to give up that easily. That was so much fun."

As we let our horses rest for a while, we continued to talk about my adventures. At least thats what Malon called them. She also began to tease me about Kaelin and how heroic he was for saving me and every time I would retort with a remark of her "fairy boy". Ever since I had known her she would tell me about this boy clad in green with a fairy following him that had visited Lon Lon Ranch when she was little. He had also helped get Malon's lazy father from the castle when he fell asleep delivering milk. I wasn't sure if he really existed but I didn't question her since she believed me when I told her about a Zora saving my life.

After Topaz was rested up, I bid the strawberry blonde goodbye and headed home. There was still a few hours of daylight left so I took my time and enjoyed the scenery. I didn't want to push Topaz too hard after that race. Once we arrived at Kakariko, I lead Topaz into the barn and washed him down before putting him in his stable for the night with some fresh hay. I slowly made my way inside as I silently hoped my parents would believe my lie. I felt bad for lying to them but it was really for the best. When I entered I saw father sitting at the table sharpening a knife while mother was stirring the contents of a pot over the stove. I sighed with relief thinking they would be too preoccupied with their tasks to notice me.

As I made my way to my room, mother's voice caught my attention, "Stella, I need you cut up this carrot while I go pick some more green beans from our garden."

I was almost frozen to the spot as I answered, "Umm, okay."

While I made my way to the kitchen, I passed the table father was sitting at and prayed he wouldn't look at me...but his alarmed voice told me otherwise, "Stella, what happened to you?!"

I gave them both a sheepish smile and prepared to tell them the lie that would only escalate as time went on.

* * *

**SailorSunstar: **_I hope you enjoyed chapter 2, readers! In the next chapter, things are going to start picking up and more characters will enter the story. Also I may change the rating to teen, but it'll only be for some mild stuff. Thanks for reading chapter 2 and please review! :)_


	4. The Fairy, the Witch, & the Prophecy

Against All Tides

Chapter 3: The Fairy, the Witch, and the Prophecy

My heart thumped loudly as my parents' terrified gazes stared into my very soul. It was as if they could read my very thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I repeated the lie that Malon and I had spun together, "Well, you see...Malon and I were racing when Topaz suddenly stopped before a jump which caused me to fall and scrape myself up."

Sweat beaded up around my face as I awaited their response and my mother was first to react, "Oh, my poor dear! Come and sit down at the table while I get some medicine."

"Mother, it really isn't that bad and Malon already dressed my wounds." I calmly explained, trying to ease mother's worries as she frantically examined my wounds.

Father came to my aid and spoke soothing words to mother, "Calm down, Elaine, she will be just fine. Falling down is a part of life, but more importantly deciding to get back on is too."

Mother gave him a warm smile and replied, "You are right, Harold, but I just worry for her so much...especially after that day. I am proud of you for acting so mature and calm, Stella."

"Thanks, mother, and I'll try to be more careful next time." I muttered as guilt ate away at me. A burnt aroma filled my lungs and I remembered the pot mother was stirring earlier.

"Oh no, the soup!" Mother exclaimed as hurried over to the boiling pot on the stove.

Her frantic attempts began to ease my worries as she salvaged what she could of the soup. But father eyed me worriedly before shrugging it off and resumed sharpening his knife. The guilt came pounding back full force like a hard rain beating against the earth. They believed me so easily and didn't even question me once. But it was all for the best since they would only worry thimselves sick if they knew what really happened. And thanks to Kaelin, I had also discovered Zoras weren't bad like father wanted me to believe. But why had he told me they were dangerous and why did I still feel bad about lying?

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

After finishing a delicious breakfast, I decided to take a stroll through town. The first store I wondered into was the bomb shop that my father sometimes sold supplies to. The owner and I exchanged a few words before I left and moved to the next shop. The next shop I entered was a magic shop. Inside the shelves were filled with bottles containing various objects and liquids. One bottle in particular caught my attention because of the glow coming from it. Upon closer inspection, I saw that inside was a glowing pink orb with wings that seemed to droop in a sad manner.

Before I could grab the bottle, a sickly voice stopped me from doing so, "Why hello, Stella. You are looking very se-I mean beautiful toady."

I whirled around to meet the flat brown eyes of Alec and remarked, "Sorry I can't say the same for you, now if you'll excuse me."

He immediately brought his hands on either side of me blocking me from leaving and murmured seductively. "I saw you eyeing that fairy earlier, and if you play your cards right I may give you a discount on it."

He brought his face closer to mine and I quickly kneed him in the gut as hard as I could. He faltered long enough for me to move away from him and head for the door. But in a flash he appeared before the door and blocked me yet again.

"That wasn't very nice, sweetheart, and now you've made me angry." he hissed as he inched closer to me.

I frantically looked around for any escape possible before I spotted a back door not far away. Alec was now only a few feet away and ready to attack at any moment. The fairy in the bottle began to beat against the inside of the container desperately. Alec then lunged for me and wrapped his hands around my neck with a wild look in his eyes. I gasped for air as I fumbled around for anything to help and my hand grasps the neck of a bottle. How ironic I thought before smashing the bottle over Alec's head. He stumbled before falling to the ground with his hands clasping his head in pain.

The fairy must have been in the bottle for she now floated beside me and actaully spoke to me, "Hurry and leave while I destract him!"

Alec was now recovering from the blow and blocked the entrance. Shocked by all that was happening, I obliged and ran for the back door. As soon as I made it outside, I was momentarily blinded by the sun. After my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw a ladder placed at the edge of the porch and climbed down it carefully. My feet soon touched ground once more and I ran along the alley while searching for any way out. Before long I came to a extremely high wooden fence that was impossible to climb over or through.

As I searched the fence thoroughly, Alec's angry voice echoed through the alley, " Come back now, sweetheart, and I may forgive you for that nasty little stunt you pulled back there."

Panic arose in my chest before the pink fairy from before flew to my side and tugged at my shirt, "Follow me and I'll show you the way out of here."

Since there was no other way of getting out, I decided to follow the pink fairy as she floated off. She returned the way we had come and I began to think maybe she was leading me into a trap. But she stopped in front of a ladder against the wall that I hadn't noticed before. Alec's voice rang out louder this time causing me to scurry up the ladder without hesitation. As I reached the top, there was an old building with a crooked sign overhead that read: Madame Sybil's Miracle Potions. The fairy fluttered over to the door while I stood there warily examining the building's exterior.

"Don't worry, it's not a bad place. Now come on!" The glowing fairy urged and I reluctantly entered the shop.

The interior wasn't much better than the outside for a smokey mist covered the inside. Pots sat against that walls and the boiling liquids inside of them were all different colors. Whenever a bubble burst from the liquid it expelled a smoke of the same color and swirled over to a counter at the other end of the room. An old lady sat behind the counter stirring the contents of a big cauldren.

"Come on over here, Stella. You have nothing to fear for you are safe here."She chimed as she continued to stir her potion.

Surprised that she knew my name and situation, I walked to the counter and inquired, "How did you know my name? I don't believe I've ever met you."

I nervously glanced at the door as she neglected her cauldren and sat in a chair behind the counter, "Forgive my rudeness, my name is Madame Sybil and I possess magical powers that allow me to see into other's futures."

"You mean like a fortune teller or a witch?" I asked curiously, but it seemed hard to believe.

"Something like that and your destiny revealed itself to me sometime ago so that is how I knew your name." Madame Sybil explained while she layed a crystal ball on the counter and gazed into the clear sphere.

Madame Sybil took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to chant in a foreign language. The fairy began to shake in fear and dove behind a pot which didn't serve as a comfort to me since she was the one that brought me here. I noticed the chanting had stopped and Madame Sybil was facing me while the crystal ball glowed. She opned her eyes to reaveal glowing blue orbs as she bagan to speak in an ominous voice.

"Your destiny will be revealed soon, and a mission you shall partake of on the full moon. Loved ones will be in danger and help you will receive from a stranger. But faith you must always keep for your answers will lay in the water's deep. There is where your greatest strength lies and a glorious love will arise. Once you have overcome all, then your enemy will fall, for love defeats all." she spoke with wisdom before returning to her normal self.

The fairy came out of her hiding spot while I tried to sort everything Madame Sybil just said. Panic was overcoming me as I cried out, "What did all of that mean? What's going to happen to my loved ones?"

"That was your prophecy, Stella. I'm sorry but you must figure out what it means on your own." she explained solemnly while reaching under the counter and pulling out two red potions, "These will help you on the journey to come. Use them wisely."

"Wow! That was pretty awesome!" the pink fairy shouted enthusiastically as she appeared between us.

Madame Sybil simply swatted at the glowing ball of energy and said, "Elpis, that's enough. This poor girl has been through enough already."

Elpis jingled in alarm as the old lady's hand came close to hitting her and I took the opportunity to pipe in, "So your name is Elpis? Thank you for helping me earlier."

"It sure is and your welcome!" she spoke energetically as she circled around my body.

Madame Sybil chuckled at the fairy's antics before speaking to me, "Well, Stella, I suppose you should get home now. Do not worry for I no longer since the young mans presence nearby."

"Oh, okay. Thanks for everything." I stated before standing up to leave.

But before I even opened the door, Elpis cried, "Bye, Stella! Come back and visit us soon."

I nodded to the energetic fairy before exiting the building and heading home. On the way home, I thought of everything that happened today. Lately it seemed that I never had a peaceful day anymore and I wasn't going to any time soon. According to that prophecy, my life was only going to get more hectic on the full moon. And the next full moon was only a few days away.

* * *

**SailorSunstar:** _Thank you for reading chapter 3 and I also want to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys are so sweet and the reviews were very encouraging. Things are only going to get more ecxiting so please continue to R&R._


	5. Tears and Fears

Against All Tides

Chapter 4: Tears and Fears

After a long and restless night, I awoke late in the morning and rolled out of bed to get dressed for the day. Since it was so late in the morning, the breakfast mother had left for me had already turned cold. I decided to grab an apple to eat instead and headed out the door. It seemed like today was a lot warmer than usual as the firey ring that loomed over Death Mountain blazed brighter than ever. My body wasn't up for the heat today so I tacked up Topaz and rode for the crisp cool air of Lake Hylia.

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

The waves hitting the lake shoreline were very relaxing and comforting. Their soothing rythym cleared every doubt and fear that was consuming my mind and replaced it with tranquility. A soft breeze blew in my face as I enhaled the scent of the pristine lake and exhaled the toxins from my lungs. But a splash of water to my face stole my peace as I squealed in surprise. The sound of laughter rung in my ears and my eyes landed on the source of it.

"Hey! What was that for, Kaelin?" I questioned the male Zora as he continued to laugh at my expense.

He answered between chuckles, "You looked like you were about to fall asleep so I helped wake you up."

I chuckled, "Well I didn't get the best nights sleep so I deserve a little nap don't you think."

Kaelin's laughter subsided while he climbed on shore and sat beside me, "Really? Did your boyfriend keep you up all night?"

"Kaelin!" I shrieked with a bright red face which he laughed at, "That isn't what happened at all. I don't even have a boyfriend."

"How can a beautiful young woman such as yourself not have a boyfriend?" Kaelin swooned as he gazed into my eyes with such a soft expression it almost made me melt. With pink tinged cheeks, I quickly looked away as he realized what he had said and changed the subject. "So...why didn't you sleep well?"

Images flashed before my eyes as I thought back to all that happened yesterday, "I...don't really want to talk about it."

He layed a hand on my shoulder and reassured me, "We may not have known each other long, but I want you to know that you can talk to me if something is bothering you."

My hand grasped his lightly, "Thank you, Kaelin. You might be the only person I can talk to about this."

"Of course. Now, I'm all ears so go ahead and spill." he joked trying to lighten the dark mood I was in.

So I told him all about meeting Madame Sybil and the prophecy she revealed to me while leaving out the part about Alec, "I'm not sure what it all means but it scares me to think about anyone I care about getting hurt. My father has trained me with a sword but he only taught me the basics. There's no way I could possibly stand up to any evil force."

Tears burned at the back of my eyes as I tried fighting them off. Kaelin noticed this and comforted me, "Stella, you don't even know if this woman was sane. She's probably some crazy old lady trying to get you scared."

"She didn't seem the least bit crazy and every bit serious about everything." I sniffed as the tears poured from my eyes, "Kaelin, I'm scared. I'm so scared."

Kaelin held me as I sobbed into his smooth skin that absorbed every tear that I shed. He gently rubbed my back as the sobs eventually turned to sniffles. I pulled away from him and wiped the tear stains from my face. After regaining my composure, I murmured an embarassed apology to him for my breakdown.

"You have nothing to be sorry for because one person shouldn't have to shoulder this alone." he explained. "And I will be here to help you any time you need me."

"I don't know how I deserved such an amazing friend like you but I'm so glad I did." I said although it looked as if a ghost of a frown appeared on his face before he dazzled me with a charming smile.

"Now your only worry is trying to get rid of me." he joked as I laughed along with him.

We continued to talk and joke around for a while longer until he told me he had to return to his domain. My curiousity got the best of me so I asked, "Why do you always have to go back to your domain so early in the day?"

Completely unoffended by my bluntness, he answered, "We each have shifts and its now my turn to guard Zora's Domain while my comrade takes my place to guard the lake."

"Well, I guess I better let you get back to your job. See you another time." I said before calling out for Topaz who came galloping over a nearby hill.

Kaelin taps his foot on the ground nervously before shaking his head and bidding goodbye, "Yeah, I'll be here everyday so stop by anytime."

As he hesitantly waved goodbye, I mounted Topaz and waved back to him. Then he swiflty dove into the depths of the crystal blue lake water. We set off for Hyrule field as my mind stayed preoccupied with a certain Zora. Topaz began to pull at the reins and I realized we were only going at a slow walk. I nudged him into a gallop and we took off through the vast fields of Hyrule.

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

My knuckles wrapped on the wooden door of a cream colored ranch house as I patiently waited for an answer. In a few seconds, Malon opened the door and embraced me in a bear crushing hug. After releasing me from the hug, she invited me in to have some of her delicious homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. We sat down at the dining room table with our cookies and Lon Lon milk to talk.

"You will never believe what happened yesterday!" Malon exclaimed as she munched on her cookie.

After I swallowed the last bit of my milk, I responded, "I see I'm not the only one that had an exciting day yesterday. What happened?"

"The fairy boy returned and he told me his name is Link. And let me tell you, the passing years have done him well because he is so handsome. " she explained with a dreamy sigh.

I almost tossed my cookies as she described his appearance...a little too vividly and coaxed her into moving on with the conversation, "So what did he come back for and how do you know it was him?"

"Do you remember that song I always sing? Well, I taught it to the fairy boy when we were little and yesterday Link played it. Of course, Epona took to him at once because she loves the song and remembered him." she explained as her expression saddened, "He needed a horse to so I let him have Epona."

"You let him have Epona?! She's your horse and you love her so much." I was astonished she would even think of letting anyone have Epona. Epona also happened to be the foal of her mother's horse so she meant so much more to Malon than anyone knew.

"I know, but he told me he was trying to stop the evil king and needed a horse in order to do so." she revealed in a hushed voice since it was forbidden to speak ill of the our king, Ganondorf. Everyone told of him having ears and eyes in all places so we took extra precaution when speakig of him.

When she told me of this, I couldn't help but think of my own predicament. But if one young man could bring down the evil king then maybe I could conquer what I would have to face. It wasn't likely he would succeed though so why should I succeed. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't notice Malon was talking to me and waving her hands in my face.

"I'm sorry, Malon. What did you say?" I apologized as she just giggled at my reaction.

"What did you do yesterday that was so exciting?" she repeated and patiently waited for my answer.

I wanted so badly to tell her all about what happened, but I didn't want to worry her or drag her into it. "Oh, you know...I just...went shopping and found some really good items on sale."

She immediately fired off with tons of questions as a guilty feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach. I lied to my parents and now I had lied to my best friend. And why had I told Kaelin, someone I've only known for a few days, about the prophecy when I couldn't tell my best friend or even my own parents? Simple. I was just protecting them...right?

* * *

**SailorSunstar:** _Thanks for reading another chapter of my story! As you've probably noticed, I will be changing a few things in the OoT stroyline. I left out Ingo because he really isn't important and he gets on my nerves. Just to be on the safe side I have also changed the rating to Teen, but only for mild stuff. Please continue to R&R!_


	6. The Rising Tide

Against All Tides

Chapter 5: The Rising Tide

In the past few days, I decided to practice refining my skills with a sword in our local graveyard. There were plenty of poes to use as target practice and they were worthy opponents too. With my sword held tightly in both hands, I steadied myself for the ghostly figure to reappear. As soon as I heard its taunting cackle, I piveted around on one foot while my other moved in sync with my body. My sword sliced through the poe in one swift movement as it cried out in pain and floated away in fear.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and sheathed my sword carefully, "That should be enough for today."

Rain drizzled down on top of the tombstones as I walked through the graveyard to the exit. Mud puddles were littered across the ground that I carefully avoided along the way. A splash reverbirated through the empty graveyard as I stepped over a puddle. I instinctively grasped the hilt of my sword and glanced around the area. But with the rain and the light mist that hovered above the ground, it was hard to see much. I shrugged it off and continued through the graveyard with my hand ready to draw my sword if need be. By the time I reached the gate at the entrance, the rain had cleared and the sun shined brightly against my drenched body.

The sun was now setting as I hurried home to get dried off before dinner time. When I made it inside, the house had been completely ransacked and my parents were nowhere in the house. Panic started to rise in me as I looked outside at the moon that was growing more vibrant as the sun slowly disappeared on the horizon. It was a full moon. My mind reeled through the endless possibilities as I ran to each of my parents' businesses and found them empty. I proceeded to look everywhere in town that I could possibly think of before I thought of Madame Sybil. Even though my feet still ached from my training and all the searching, I continued to run as fast as I could and reached her shop within a few minutes.

As I burst through her doors, I wasted no time to get to the point, "Madame Sybil, they're gone! My parents are gone!"

Her startled figure appeared behind the counter along with a very surprised fairy. As soon as they saw me they calmed down and the old woman answered, "I'm sorry, Stella, but everything has been set into motion and it's up to you to find and rescue them. There is nothing my powers can do to help you find them."

Fear and anger boiled inside of me as I screamed in fustration, "How can I possibly save them when I don't even know where to begin to look for them?!"

"Stella, dear, you must remain strong and calm for you are the only one who can save them. Anger will only blind you and fear will only immobilize you." She spoke with confidence and wisdom.

I dropped to my knees and cried while Elpis floated around me and comforted me, "Don't worry, Stella, I'll help you find them. You can count on me!"

"Really? You would help me even if it puts your life in danger?" I hiccuped as my tears ceased and I rubbed my face clean.

"Of course! You're my friend and fairies are very durable. I'll also be able to heal you when you're badly injured." she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in all of Hyrule.

"Then off with you both! There's no time to waste!" Madame Sybil urged as she shoved us out the door. Before she shut the door, she advised me of one more thing, "And I would recommend starting at Lake Hylia."

Elpis and I stood before the closed door with stunned expressions before we remembered the task at hand and set forth. After gathering some supplies we would need, I tacked up Topaz and we headed for the lake. Clouds rolled across the night sky and covered the moon and the stars. Lightening was our only source of light as it danced across the sky and thunder boomed through the night air. Soon rain pelted down on us and made it nearly impossible to see even with the lightening.

"Maybe we should go back and wait until morning!" Elpis shouted above the rain and thunder.

Determined to find my parents I refused, "No! I've got to save them before they get hurt...or worse!"

Elpis begrudgingly agreed to continue but only if she could ride inside of the saddle bag since the rain had rid the use of her wings. Topaz hesitantly bid my command and continued through the rain as lightening lit up the sky as our only guidance. But we were soon lost as we came across a plank that served as a bridge across a small creek and crossed it. With no visibility it was impossible to see where we were or where we were going. So I slowed Topaz to a walk until we came to an old bridge that shook in the stormy night.

As I observed the rickety old bridge, Elpis flew out of her hiding spot and over to me, "Where are we? You aren't going to cross that are you?"

"I'm just going to check if it's sturdy enough to hold us." I reasoned with her while I checked every plank before I put my full weight on it.

"Be careful, Stella!" she yelled as lightening crashed to the ground and startled Topaz into sprinting off.

While running back across the bridge to catch him, the planks beneath my feet broke away and I fell through with a loud cry. Elpis shouted my name and followed after me as I plummitted through the air screaming. Attempting to help save me, she grabbed my shirt and pulled with all her strength to keep me from falling. But her attempts were in vain as I continued to fall and soon plunged into a rushing river. I fought against the current to reach the surface and succeeded as I inhaled what little air I could before being pulled under again. Elpis was frantically trying to keep track of me as she fluttered above the surface of the water. Memories flashed before me of a similiar encounter as water began to fill my lungs. I fought with all my strength to reach the surface, but my vision began to blurr and my eyelids grew heavier by the second.

Before I lost conciousness, an arm wrapped around my waist securely and lifted me above water. I held on tight to their arm as we broke the surface of the water. While gasping for oxygen and choking up the water that had filled my lungs, I noticed the arm wrapped around me belonged to a Zora. Elpis spotted us and quickly followed along as the rushing river carried us to Lake Hylia. The storm raged on as the Zora carefully carried me to shore to gently set me down and Kaelin's familiar charcoal eyes met mine as he looked at me worriedly.

"Are you okay, Stella?" Kaelin asked loudly above all the noises of the storm. My throat burned from all of the water I had swallowed so I simply nodded. He then picked me up in his arms and carried me over to the lake. "It's too dangerous out here. I'm going to take you to my domain."

My eyes filled with fear from the thought of having to go under water once more, but Kaelin reassured me all would be fine. Elpis reluctantly agreed to get in any empty bottle long enough to travel underwater with us. After wrapping my arms around his neck securely, he dove into the water and expertly swam through the torrents caused by the storm. We reached some underwater ruins where there was an entry way that Kaelin swam through. It was completely dark for a few seconds until we appeared on the other side where the water was very calm. Kaelin reached the surface and swam over to shore as I took in the appearance of our surroundings.

We were in a damp cave that held a body of water on one side and small acloves on the other side. The water was even more beautiful than the lake water as it sparkled like stars against the walls and ceiling of the cave. A waterfall crashed down into the body of water from one wall causing a loud noise to travel throughout the cave. A few Zoras that were nearby didn't seem to mind the noise but were more interested in their comrade and his company. Kaelin gently set me down on my feet as I continued to stare at the beauty of his home.

"It's absolutely breath taking, Kaelin! Is this where you and the other Zora's live?" I admired from beside him while he smiled and slightly blushed at my reaction.

"Yes. This is Zora's Domain where all Zoras, guardians of the water, reside peacefully and happily." he proudly welcomed me to his home.

Zoras Domain had completey blown me away with its beauty and had caused me to also forget why I had ended up here in the first place. Kaelin proceeded to show me every part of his home as I listened and observed in amazement.

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

Meanwhile, back in Kakariko village a mysterious figure stomped through the dark streets while the villagers slept the night away peacefully. As the figure searched through every part of the village, they grew angrier and angrier while turning over every crate and stone.

"Where is she!" they roared and punched the tree that was located near the entrance of the village.

Villagers peeped out of their windows and opened their doors to find the source of the noise. But, where the figure once stood was now empty while the only signs left of his presence was a disipitating mist. The residents shrugged it off and retreated back to their warm beds, completely unaware of the danger the figure possossed or what his future plans held in store.

* * *

**SailorSunstar:** _Kaelin seems to always be there to save Stella, but will he be able to protect her from this mysterious person? Just who is this mysterious person anyway? Find out as the story progresses and secrets reveal themselves. Thanks for reading and please review! _


	7. Dangers Revealed

Against All Tides

Chapter 6: Dangers Revealed

Lightning flashed across the sky continuously as thunder shook the once glorious walls of Hyrule castle. As the storm ravaged the outside world, a dark figure stormed angrily through the inside of the dark castle. His heavy footsteps echoed through the dungeon as he made his way down the basement noise alerted his prisoners of his presence.

A middle aged woman and man retreated to the back of their cell as the figure appeared before them. The rats even scurried away from the figure in fear. The man stood protectively in front of the woman as the figure approached the cell with a key in hand. He stayed hidden in the shadows as he unlocked the cell door and stepped inside. His eyes appeared to glow with a red tint as he stood before them menacingly.

"Who are you and why have you brought us to this place?" the male prisoner demanded as the figure came closer.

"How dare you demand answers from me! You are _my_ prisoners so you will be answering _my_ questions!" a powerful male voice boomed from the figure, as he uncurled a whip from his belt. He snapped the whip at the man, knocking him to the ground with a harsh thud.

"Harold!" the woman cried before rushing to the fallen man's side, "Are you alright?"

Harold carefully sat up on the cold, damp floor and weakly answered, "I'm fine, Elaine. You always worried too much, dear."

Their imprisoner had grown impatient and grabbed Elaine by her arm. He then held a knife against her throat as he angrily growled, "Enough! You _will _tell me what I need to know and _now_! Where is Stella?!"

"What do you want with our daughter?" Harold asked while gazing into his wife's terrified eyes.

"I said _I_ would be asking the questions! Now answer me or I'll slit your wife's throat right now!" the man screamed. His patience now completely gone as he shook with anger with every word.

"Let my wife go this instant!" Harold shouted as he rushed after the man. But before Harold could stop him, the man shifted the knife and blood dripped down Elaine's neck. Harold stopped in his tracks and cried for his beloved wife, "Elaine!"

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

Kaelin was showing me around his beautiful home when a noise distracted me. The noise was coming from inside my bag. After opening my bag, I found it was a very distraught Elpis. I had completely forgotten she was still inside of the bottle. Kaelin noticed I had stopped and walked up beside me to see what was keeping me. I pulled the container out and released a very angry fairy. She was now more red than pink.

"Oh my gosh, Elpis, I'm so sorry!" I deeply apologized to my flying friend as she angrily swarmed around my head.

"Sorry?! Do you remember how you found me and what I did for you? Being trapped in a bottle is a fairy's worst nightmare. Just because your boyfriend comes along that doesn't mean you can ditch your friend!" she angrily shouted in my face.

"Please, Elpis..." I tried to explain, but she wouldn't hear it.

"Just forget it! Have a nice life with fish boy!" she cried, before flying off into a deeper part of the cave.

"Elpis, wait! I'm sorry...I'm so sorry!" I called after her. But it was too late, her glowing figure had already disappeared from sight.

Kaelin layed a comforting hand on my shoulder and eased my worries, "She just needs some time to cool off. How about we check out the stores? That will keep your mind busy until she comes back."

I squeezed his hand and replied, "Thank you, Kaelin. That sounds like a lot of fun."

Before leaving, I sadly glanced in the direction Elpis had gone. After shaking my head clear, I followed him to the local stores in Zoras Domain. A few Zoras were shopping around as we made our way through the area. The first store sold supplies that a traveler would need. Since I had enough supplies, we breifly looked around then moved onto the next store. The next store we entered was a jewelry store. Beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and ear rings hung from racks on the wall while rings were displayed in a showcase at the counter.

Kaelin walked up to the counter and chatted with the employee while I scanned the items. As I came to the last isle, one necklace dazzled me with its amazing detail and color. The chain was white gold. It held a tear shaped aquamarine stone, and in the center of the stone lie a white hibiscus flower. The stone was wrapped in a spiral of white gold metal that was crafted to look like ivory.

As my hand grasped the necklace to examine it better, Kaelin walked up next to me, "That necklace would look beautiful on you. Here, try it on."

My cheeks flushed a bright pink as his hands brushed my hair out of the way to put the necklace on. His touch sent tingles up my spine, as he clasped the necklace on and adjusted it so the stone hung correctly. My breath hitched in my throat as I examined myself in the mirror. My eyes were glued to the image of Kaelin standing directly behind me, instead of the necklace. I thought my heart was going to explode as I took in every detail of our images in the mirror. I silently wished we could stay like this forever. Quickly shaking the thought away,I reminded myself of the danger my parents were in. I took the necklace off and stormed out of the store with Kaelin trailing after me.

"What's wrong, Stella?" he asked with concern while leading me over to a bench. We sat down and Kaelin listened to me carefully.

"I should be out there looking for my parents not shopping! They could be in a lot of danger right now." I explained with tears clinging to the corners of my eyes.

Completely oblivious to the situation, Kaelin inquired, "What are you talking about? Wait...does this have anything to do with that old lady or that prophecy?"

"Yes, my parents are gone. I don't know where to even begin to look for them, and now Elpis is mad at me. I can't do this," I whispered with my hands grasping the sides of my head in fustration.

"You're not alone in this, Stella. I"ll help you get your parents back and Elpis is going to come back after she cools off." Kaelin comforted me and rubbed my back in soothing circular motions.

After an exhausting and shocking day, my body begged for sleep. The rhythmic motion began to lull me to sleep as my eyelids grew heavier and my body relaxed. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was Kaelin's arms wrapping around me.

Once again nightmares consumed my sleep causing me to toss and turn that night. There were a few times when I would hear a voice calling to me. The nightmares would instantly disappear for a short time. They were then replaced with dreams of flying through an ocean filled with every species of fish imaginable. Then I would stop flying, and the nightmares would start again as I began to drown. Finally, I awoke fully restored...and hungry.

The first thing I noticed was the bed that I layed in wasn't my own, nor was I in my own bedroom. The aquamarine bed sheets were made of satin ,and the bedframe itself was made of shells and pebbles. The walls were a dark blue color that matched the color of the deep waters of Lake Hylia. Tiny stones sparkled like stars on the black ceiling. As my feet touched the floor, I noticed it was sand and dug my toes into the soft texture. I close my eyes and released a contented sigh. A knock sounded from the door located oppsite of the bed, before Kaelin popped his head in.

After seeing I was awake, he fully entered with a tray of food in hand, "I thought you might like something to eat. You haven't eaten since you've been here."

"Thanks. Where are we? How long was I asleep?" I asked before accepting the food as my mouth drooled. I began eating it slowly since I didn't want to look like a pig.

"You've been asleep for ten hours ,but you deserved the rest after what you've been through. Also, this is my home and we're in my bedroom." Kaelin said as he sat beside me on the bed. I blushed as he told me this was his bedroom. But, I realized how how long I had slept and panicked.

"Ten hours?!" I choked on my food and Kaelin patted my back, "You should have woken me up! I have more important things to do. What if my pare-"

"Stella, calm down! It's important to take care of yourself first before you can help your parents. You won't be able to do anything if you pass out from hunger or sleep deprivation." Kaelin explained as he gently took my face in his hands to calm me down.

My hands grasped his and our eyes locked for what seemed like eternity. We leaned closer to each other until our foreheads met. His hands left my face and found my waist, while mine wrapped around his neck. Our lips barely touched when something smacked up against my head. We both looked around and found a familiar pink fairy floating beside us.

"Elpis!" I cried with relief. But she only flew away from me as I approached her. "I'm so sorry for what I did. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, I forgive you!" she exclaimed while bouncing up and down on the bed, "But you do know there's a mourning period for losing a friend, right? Instead I find my friend happily sucking face with her boyfriend."

Kaelin and I blushed a crimson red while Elpis rolled around on the bed, laughing hysterically. I awkwardly cleared my throat as Kaelin rubbed the back of his neck. We both avoided any eye contact as I tried to calm down Elpis.

"Very funny, Elpis, but where have you been all this time?" I inquired as her laughing receeded.

"I almost forgot! I saw the Great Fairy of this region." Elpis happily blurted out.

"No one has ever seen the Great Fairy of this region before! She is said to be one of the Great Fairy's of Magic that possesses a powerful magic given to her by the Godess Farore." Kaelin explained admirably.

"And you're correct, Kaelin. She also told me of danger soon approaching Zora's Domain." Elpis revealed which frightening Kealin and me.

"What kind of danger?" Kaelin worriedly asked as he paced back and forth across the bedroom floor.

I tried to calm him down as Elpis told us what the Great Fairy said, "There is an evil force helping Ganondorf. He will come here and cast a curse upon this place. That's all she was able to see."

"I have to go warn the king." Kaelin said as he headed for the door, "Wait here until I come back."

"We're going with you. Besides, it will help if the king hears it from Elpis. She saw the Great Fairy and she's a fairy herself." I reasoned while also begging him with my pleading eyes.

"Fine, but you have to be on your best behavior." he agreed as he tried to hide his smile.

Elpis and I cheered in triumph while Kaelin shook his head at our childish behavior. But, realizing the gravity of the situation, we regained our composure quickly. We followed Kaelin through Zoras Domain silently, each of us being absorbed in our own thoughts. I continued to worry about the events that were happening, and the dangers they possessed. If this evil force was Ganondorfs doing, then how could we possibly stand up to it? Would we even be able to stop it?

* * *

**SailorSunstar:** _I tried to focus on Kaelin and Stella more and let their relationship grow in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter might be out later than usual. I have come down with a cold so my mind isn't up to writing a chapter at the moment. _

_Also, I would like to send a special thank you to Vivi3030. Your advice was politely given, and I will try to improve my writing based on what you've pointed out. Thank you so much!_

_Thank you for reading and please R&R! :)_


	8. Bad Company

Against All Tides

Chapter 7: Bad Company

Water dripped from the ceiling of the cavern, into puddles strewn about the ground. The ground itself was dangerously slippery from the wet environment. I carefully stepped around the puddles to avoid falling, and followed Kaelin closely. Elpis cheerfully fluttered beside me, chirping a happy tune every few minutes. Overall, we were silent and it only made me more nervous. We were, after all, going to see the king of the Zoras.

"Sooo...is the king nice?" I nervously asked.

"Yeah. You're not nervous, are you?" Kaelin asked, as we stopped at the bottom of a stairway. He turned around and studied my apprehensive behavior.

"She sure looks like she's nervous." Elpis abruptly piped in.

"O-of course not. I was just curious and...okay maybe just a little." I admitted timidly.

Kaelin gently laid his hands on my shoulders, and looked straight into my eyes, "Don't worry, you'll do just fine. Just stand tall and speak when you are spoken to."

"O-okay, I'll t-try to relax." I stammered nervously. I don't know if it was from the nerves or his intense gaze.

"Come on! The longer you ogle at one another, the more time your wasting!" Elpis pointed out rather bluntly.

"Umm...right. The throne room is just at the top of these stairs. I'll make an introduction, then explain the situation. After, the king will want to hear from you Elpis." Kaelin explained.

"Alright then, let's get going!" Elpis excitedly screamed before zooming up the stairs.

"Elpis! Wait on us!" Kaelin shouted, quickly following after her.

"Elpis..." I giggled at her ridiculous behavior before climbing the stairs.

Thankfully, the stairs were dry as I quickly climbed them two at a time. Within a minute, I had reached the top of the stairway. Kaelin was waiting patiently for me while Elpis paced back and forth through the air. I rested for a few seconds to catch my breath, sending Elpis into an impatient frenzy. Kaelin chuckled at her behavior before motioning for us to follow him into the king's chambers.

Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, watching Elpis and I with suspicion. Kaelin spoke to them in a foreign language and both guards nodded in response. They relaxed their stance and no longer scrutinized us. Assuming this gave us permission to enter, Elpis and I followed Kaelin into the king's chamber.

The king's chamber was nothing like I imagined it would be. Instead of fine furnishings and decorations, it was similar to the rest of Zora's Domain. Most of the ground was covered in a shallow pool of water. The rest of the ground was higher land that led up to where the king sat. The king was a much larger Zora and wore only a red robe. He swung his legs in a carefree manner, as he sat upon a platform with water streaming over into the shallow pool. Kaelin ascended a few steps onto a platform located directly in front of the king, making it easier to talk to him.

"Your majesty. These are my friends, Stella and Elpis. We come with very important news that we've just uncovered." Kaelin formally adressed the king with a bow.

The zora king observed us before answering his loyal warrior, "Arise, young warrior. What news have the three of you discovered?"

Kaelin returned to a standing position, "An evil force has arisen under the evil king's power. He will threaten our domain and our people, but we are uncertain of the time."

"Ah...this is very troubling indeed. Where did you stumble upon this impending threat?" the zora king inquired thoughtfully.

"Elpis will be able to explain, if she may." Kaelin introduced the overly excited fairy.

The zora king answered with a nod, allowing Elpis to explain, "The Great Fairy of your domain informed me of this threat. I discovered her fountain and she appeared to me with this news. She also told me that it is important to keep your daughter safe during this time. That is all she said, your majesty."

"Hmm..." the Zora king mulled over the information, "This is very troublesome indeed. I shall speak with the counsel about this matter. Now...where has my daughter swam off to?"

"I'm right here father!" a female voice answered from behind us. We turned around to see a Zora woman standing there with her head held high. She was the first female Zora I had seen. Like the rest of her race, her body was bare of any clothing. Her figure was clearly exposed, but at the same time she wasn't indecent.

"Ah, my lovely daughter, come here!" the king exclaimed joyously. "There are important matters to discuss."

"Of course, father." she replied indifferently, giving Kaelin a seductive smile. "Kaelin! It's so nice to see you again. Your still as handsome as ever."

My blood ran cold as she draped her arms around his shoulders. Kaelin gave her a polite smile before responding, "Thank you, princess. If you'll excuse us, we have other things we need to take care of."

For the first time, she noticed Elpis and I standing there. She gave me a degrading look before turning her nose away, returning her attention to Kaelin. "Friends of yours?"

"Yes. These are my very good friends, Stella and Elpis. Girls, this is Princess Ruto." Kaelin introduced.

Princess Ruto detached herself from Kaelin and faced us. After giving me a glare, she reluctantly greeted us, "Very interesting choice of friends. Nice to...meet you. Welcome to _our _domain."

Politely ignoring her patronizing behavior, I politely replied, "Nice to meet you too, Princ-"

"It was so wonderful seeing you again, Kaelin. Be sure to visit again...soon." Ruto interrupted, giving Kaelin a peck on both cheeks. He blushed furiously and nodded in reply.

After sauntering up to her father's side, the king dismissed us, "You may go now. Thank you for passing on this information."

We bowed politely before leaving the king's chambers, each of us leaving in a different state of mind. I was fuming from the princess's actions toward Kaelin. But, I shouldn't be since Kaelin and I weren't together, right? Elpis was her usual chirpy self, bobbing along happily. As for Kaelin...I wasn't sure how he was feeling. He walked in front of us in complete silence, only nodding toward the guards as we passed them.

"That was so much fun! I can't believe we actually able to see the Zora King and Princess Ruto." Elpis broke the silence, causing me to jump in surprise.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Kaelin distractedly responded, "We will probably need to visit the king again tomorrow."

My heart shattered as I thought of Ruto putting her hands on Kaelin again. The image and the thought repulsed me, and it left me heartbroken. I tried not to think of it, but I only thought of it the more instead. The emotions kept boiling inside of me until I couldn't stand it any longer.

"Stella, are you okay?" Kaelin asked with concern. That's when I noticed that I had stopped walking altogether. Elpis, who was still bobbing along, noticed we had stopped and flew back over to us.

With the two staring at me and my emotions still raw, I snapped, "I'm fine, but apparantly Kaelin isn't. He can't even go one day without seeing his girlfriend!"

After my outburst, I immediately run off with tears blurring my vision. I did't wait for a reply, nor do I even look back to see if they were chasing after me. The tears streamed down my face and carried away in the wind. My body started shaking from an oncoming sob, making me stop in my tracks. I leaned up against the cave wall and slid down to the floor. A sob escaped my mouth, as well as all the emotions that were building up inside of me. One thing suddenly came to my mind as I sat there crying. I needed someone to talk to...a friend.

OoTOoTOoTOoTOoTOoT

It was late at night, as a familiar and beautiful tune filled the air of the famous Lon Lon Ranch. It's source was that of a strawberry blonde woman standing in the middle of the corral. Since she was a child, Malon often came out in the middle of the night to sing her mother's song. It was comforting to her.

But tonight, she had an unwelcomed audience. A figure lurked in the shadows of the barn, observing the young woman. A smirk appeared on his shadowed face as he ejoyed both the song and her appearance. He admittedly thought she was beautiful, but nothing compared to _his _Stella. And if he was going to find Stella, he needed her best friend in order to do so. After all, Stella would've been more likely to share secrets with Malon than her own parents. All he needed to do was get this country girl to talk...one way or the other.

Malon heaved a sigh and gazed at the stars dispondently, "Oh, mama, I miss you so much."

"What is such a lovely young lady doing out here all by herself?" the man asked, startling her in the process.

"Excue me, sir, but the ranch is closed right now. We will open again in the morning." Malon explained, trying to get a good look at the man. But, it was too dark to see him.

"I'm not here for your stupid produce. I'm here for something else." sneered the man.

"W-what do you m-mean?" Malon stuttered, frightened by the man's intentions.

He licked his lips sickeningly as he stepped closer to the scared young woman. "I'm here...for you."

The very words sent her feet into a sprint, and she took off for the house. She began to scream for help just as the man grabbed her around the waist. Just as quick as she had taken off, the man held her down while covering her mouth with his hand. Malon struggled against his hold with all her strength, but it was no use. Even though she had worked on a farm her entire life, this man was just too strong.

"You're just wasting your energy. Now, stay still or this is going to hurt." the man warned.

Now understanding his power and intentions, Malon heeded his warning. Letting her body relax, she waited for what was to come next. In a matter of seconds, the two vanished in a vapor of black smoke. The smoke being the only evidence of the encounter until it completey disappeared too. And with it, the hope of anyone finding and helping her.

* * *

**SailorSunstar: **Sorry for the delay, readers. I was sick, busy, and had writers block. Hopefully this chapter doesn't stink too much, since I was struggling with writers block while writing it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway and please review.

Since there's only two days left...Happy Halloween! Stay safe, don't eat too much candy, and have fun!


	9. Resolve

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 8: Resolve**

***Warning*:This chapter may be a little disturbing for some people at the end. It's nothing too bad, but I wanted to give you fair warning.**

The sound of the thundering waterfall echoed throughout Zoras Domain, slowly calming me. Taking a deep breath, I wiped the last of my tears away. I silently scolded myself for storming off like that. But, after recent events, my emotions got the best of me. Seeing the Zora princess all over Kaelin was the final push to send me over the edge. It bothered me so much, but it shouldn't. Kaelin was a handsome Zora warrior, Ruto was the beautiful Zora princess and I was just a boring Hylian girl. I didn't stand a chance.

Fresh tears trailed down my cheeks as I thought about everything that had happened lately. With all the danger looming ahead, I was crying over a guy. A guy that saved my life many times and brought me into his home. A place where very few Hylians were allowed. A guy that promised to help me through the dangers that I would have to face. A guy that I was falling in love with.

"Stella!" Elpis' loud and frantic voice called my name. The sudden noise caused me to jump to my feet in surprise.

"Where are you, Stella?" Kaelin shouted out next. Worry was quite evident in his voice. It also sent my heart into a frenzy.

"I'm over here, guys!" I answered, wondering just how long they had looked for me.

Quickly, I tried to wipe my face clean of any evidence that I had cried. After cleaning my face, I headed in the direction of there voices. It didn't take long to meet up with them. Elpis twirled around me to check for any wounds. Kaelin didn't even hesitate to wrap his arms around me in a tight embrace. And I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around him.

"Are you okay, Stella?" Kaelin asked, after releasing me from the embrace to examine me.

"We were worried after you ran off like that." Elpis explained, "And why did you say Kae-"

"I'm fine." I quickly interrupted Elpis, "I'm sorry for reacting like I did...it was completely out of line."

"It's okay." Kaelin gently grabbed my arms and softly gazed into my eyes, "After everything you've been through, it's only understandable. But next time, let us know when you're feeling overwhelmed."

"Yeah! We're friends and we'll always be here for you." Elpis brightly reassured me.

"Thank you, guys...for everything. Starting now, I'm getting serious so I can save my parents. No more crying or running away." I stated with a new-found confidence.

"That's more like it! Now, we just need to get you fit for fighting." Elpis declared happily.

Kaelin nodded in approval, "Elpis is right. We don't have much time so it will be some intense training."

I groaned at the sheer thought which caused a few laughs from Kaelin and Elpis, "Well, at least I won't be a hopeless case. I have trained with a sword and I'm not too bad."

"That's great," Kaelin praised causing me to blush, "I guess we can start there. Do you have a sword?"

"Sure, it's..."I suddenly remembered it was still attached to my saddle bag. And the saddle bag was still on Topaz. There was no telling where Topaz went after I fell through the bridge that night.

"Stella, are you alright?" Kaelin asked worriedly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Uh...yeah, but I don't actually have my sword with me." I continued to explain everything that happened before he saved me. "Now, I don't even know where he could be or if he's okay."

"I know! Why don't we go look for him?" Elpis eagerly declared while zooming around Kaelin and me.

"But, we don't even know where to start." I replied despondently.

"Don't worry, Stella. We'll help you find him and I know just where to start looking." Kaelin explained optimistically.

"Really? Where?" I asked hopefully as I grabbed his hands in excitement. After realizing what I did, I quickly dropped his hands in embarrassment.

Kaelin chuckled, "We start in Kakariko Village. He's more likely to go there since it's his home."

"Then let's get going!" Elpis squealed gleefully. She twirled around us before flying toward the sounds of the rushing waterfall.

"Elpis! Wait on us!" I shouted between giggles. Before I could follow after her, Kaelin lightly grabbed my arm. I turned around to see him nervously tapping his foot on the ground. "What's wrong, Kaelin?"

"Well, I...it's just..." Kaelin struggled with his words for a minute before taking a deep breath, "Stella, I just want you to know that there's nothing going on between Ruto and me."

"O-ok, I mean...you don't have to explain anything-" but rest of my words were muffled by his chest.

His arms wrapped around my shoulders securely, and he buried his face in my hair. He then mumbled, "Yes, I do. I don't...I don't want to lose you."

"Kaelin..." I breathed while wrapping my arms around his waist, "I don't want to lose you either. I-I can't lose anyone else."

He gently rubbed my back and whispered into my ear, "I'll always be here for you, Stella. I...I lo-"

"Guys! Are you coming or not?" Elpis yelled, startling both of us.

We both exchanged nervous smiles before Kaelin answered our impatient friend, "On our way!"

With Kaelin leading the way, we caught up with Elpis near the waterfall. She fluttered over to us and immediately started ranting, "Man, could you guys be any slower? I've been waiting for about an hour. I thought I would have to go to Kakariko without you two."

"Okay, Elpis, we're sorry. Next time we'll sprout wings and fly along with you." I retorted back with a giggle.

"C'mon you two. I know a short cut to the village." Kaelin said as he motioned for us to follow him, "It's this way."

Elpis and I followed him around to the other side of the small pond. A few Zoras popped their head above the surface and said hello to us along the way. This absolutely fascinated me, until one of them grabbed me around the ankle as a prank. After releasing an ear-splitting scream, Kaelin was by my side in a split second. Kaelin was quick to scold the young Zora and reassured me he meant no harm. All the while, Elpis was laughing hysterically at me.

It didn't take long for us to reach the other side where a latter was set against a wall. Elpis flew up to the ledge where the ladder ended while Kaelin coaxed me up the ladder. After checking the stability, I quickly climbed to the top and heaved a sigh. Elpis chuckled at my evident fear of heights. Kaelin shook his head at Elpis and gave me a gentle smile.

"It's just through here, but it's even more slippery. Um...stay close to me so you don't fall." Kaelin explained as he gently grabbed my hand.

My immediate reaction was to scream with delight, but I suppressed it by biting my bottom lip. Kaelin turned around to head through the small opening in the wall, so I wasn't sure what he was feeling. Elpis gave me a light thump to the head before floating up beside the Zora warrior. After nearly falling a dozen times, we came to a small opening hidden behind a waterfall. Kaelin walked to the very edge, sticking his hand through the water. The water cascaded around his hand, leaving a small opening.

"Go on, Elpis. We'll meet up with you in a minute." Kaelin instructed the pink fairy.

"Alright, but don't take forever this time." she chattered before disappearing through the small opening.

Kaelin turned to me with a playful smirk, "Our turn. Just make sure you hold on tight and don't let go."

"Um...okay." I squeaked as he picked me up into his smooth arms.

"Don't be afraid, Stella." he whispered to me as he walked to the edge, "I've got you."

Before I could respond, he leapt off of the edge and through the waterfall.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

A young woman's cries could be heard throughout a damp and dirty dungeon. The sounds echoed through the halls and pierced the ears of a shadowed man. The man stomped down the halls until he stood before the young woman's cell. She cowered in the corner as the man threw the cell door open angrily. He towered over her petite frame with a sickly grin. Her strawberry blonde hair covered most of her scraped face as she flinched away. The dress she wore was tattered and dirty. Blood stains were scattered across her clothes and skin.

"Are you ready to talk yet? Or do I have to beat you some more?" he spat venomously. Malon merely squeaked in response, angering him further. "This time I won't be as merciful, so I suggest you start talking."

"I-I can't. I d-don't know a-anything." she sputtered out through her sobs. The man knelt down in front of her. His glare causing her to shake uncontrollably.

"You _do _know! You're just being stubborn...like _her_." the man growled, while he stroked her face with a wicked smirk. "But, I can beat that out of you."

He grabbed her by the hair and roughly dragged her out of the cell. Malon desperately cried out, "No! Please d-don't!"

The man ignored her pleas and pushed open a heavy metal door to his right. Upon entering the room, the walls were cluttered with various weapons. There were two chains hanging from the middle of the ceiling, and on the ground were two more chains. He took Malon to the middle of the room and shackled her to the chains. She continued to beg for mercy while the man continued to ignore man walked over to a large table and picked up a searing hot dagger. Walking over to the distraught woman with a grin, he inched the dagger closer to her face.

Finally reaching her breaking point, Malon cried, "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

The man perked his eyebrows in interest, "See, that wasn't so hard. Was it?"

"Just promise...you won't hurt her...please." Malon begged the evil man.

"_Hurt _her? I would never harm _my _beautiful Stella!" the man bellowed in Malon's face. His breath sending a nauseating feeling through her stomach. "Now tell me what I need to know."

Malon whispered a silent apology to her best friend before telling her torturer everything she knew. But, what hit a nerve with the man, was the mention of the male Zora. Anger, hatred, and jealousy burned in the man's heart as he listened to every bit of information she relinquished. By the time she was done, the man had already formed a plan to get his prize.

"Good girl. Looks like I'll have to pay some slimy fish a visit." he laughed maniacally.

Malons eyes widened in horror as she realized his intentions, "N-no. You can't hurt them. They haven't done anything wrong!"

The man slapped her across the face with such force, black spots dotted her vision. "Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot do, wench!"

He roughly unshackled her from the chains and dragged her back to her cell. Malon was still reeling from his early strike, when she landed harshly on the cold stone floor. She lay there until the mans steps receded into oblivion. She carefully pulled herself up into a sitting position and drew her knees to her chest. One thought ran through her mind over and over. _What have I done?_

* * *

_**SailorSunstar: **__I guess I'll start by saying that I am SO sorry for the super long delay. My life got really busy so I wasn't able to work on this story. I hope this chapter makes up for it with all the fluff, but if not then...I apologize again. Since it's been a few months, I've gotten out of the swing of things. But, in the next chapter things should be more interesting._

_ I'm thinking of including a familiar character to the story in the next few chapters. If you know who I'm talking about then let me know in your review if you want to see him. I've been going back and forth, so your advice will be my final decision...no pressure._

_Also, to avoid spoilers for the story, if you know who the bad guy is then please don't tell. _

_Thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming! :)_


	10. Hide and Seek

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 9: Hide and Seek**

The warm air whipped around us for a brief moment before we plunged into the cold water that pooled at the base of the waterfall. In one swift movement, Kaelin dove in and out of the water. It all happened so fast, I almost thought it hadn't happened. But, my drenched body reminded otherwise. Kaelin gently set me on my feet, but still grasped my shoulders to stabilize me.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked. One could easily tell he was trying to ease my initial shock.

A wide grin spread across my face as I answered, "Not at all, in fact, that was amazing!"

Kaelin laughed at my reaction as Elpis popped in between us. "Come on, we don't have all day!"

"Hey, there's no need to get pushy!" I teased the impatient fairy.

"Okay, can we _please _get going?"Elpis asked in an overly sweet voice. I playfully rolled my eyes at her while Kaelin chuckled at her antics.

"Elpis is right though. We don't have much daylight left, so we need to get going." Kaelin informed us by indicating how low the sun was in the sky.

"Right." I agreed, but realized that I wasn't familiar with the area. "By the way, where are we?"

"This is the Zoras River." Kaelin proclaimed with admiration. "This river runs throughout the lands of Hyrule."

I nodded in understanding and took a minute to notice our surroundings. The waterfall we jumped through moments ago, spilled over a cliff and deposited into the pool of water beside us. The water continued to overflow into a river that disappeared around a bend several yards ahead of us. A pathway of land zigzaged up to the raging waterfall, but from below it was hard to tell if there was anything else up there.

Elpis lightly bumped my head to catch my attention. I noticed Kaelin walking on ahead of us, but he stopped just before the bend. Elpis flew over to him as I followed closely behind her sparkling trail. We continued to tread through the Zoras River with care. Often stopping when Kaelin had to take down a few Octoroks or Tektites. By the time we finally made it to Hyrule Field, the sun was setting. The sky was painted with several shades of pink, orange and even purple.

"What a beautiful sunset!" I gasped in amazement. Kaelin and Elpis stood beside me to see as well.

"Yes...beautiful." Kaelin whispered beside me. For a moment, I could've sworn he was looking at me. Before I could confirm my suspicions, Elpis interrupted.

"Wow, look at all the different colors! It's been a while since I've seen a sunset like this...or any for that matter." Elpis declared while muttering the last part to herself.

"Hmm? What was that last part?" I questioned my tiny companion that was now sullen.

"N-nothing. Let's get going b-before it gets completely d-dark." Elpis stuttered, swiftly changing the subject.

Before Kaelin and I could respond, she was flying off to Kakariko Village. After exchanging confused glances, we followed our fairy friend. In a few minutes, we were climbing the stone steps that would lead us to my home town. As we reached the top, the familiar wooden archway that held my village's name stood before us. Elpis floated by the archway, waiting for us to catch up.

Once we stood underneath the sign, I turned to Kaelin with the brightest smile, "Welcome to Kakariko Village!"

Kaelin returned my smile with one of his own, and what looked like a loving sparkle in his eyes. A warm sensation shot through my spine and into my heart, knocking the breath out of me. I had to look away for a moment just to remember how to breathe. And when I looked back, his eyes were observing the village scenery.

One of Anju's chickens clucked loudly nearby. It almost drowned out the sound of the churning blades of the windmill that towered over the village. All of the people were already inside of their homes, settling down for the evening. This was a relief considering Kaelin would probably draw unwanted attention. And we didn't need to waste any more time.

"Follow me." I instructed my friends, "My house is just over here."

They followed me to the other side of the village where my house and small barn set. As my home came into view, I practically ran into the barn. My heart dropped as I noticed the absence of my loyal horse. Kaelin and Elpis rushed in behind me and noticed my sullen demeanor.

"I'm sure he's fine, Stella."Kaelin soothed me,"Why don't we start looking around other places in the village?"

"Yeah, Topaz could've wandered into another part of town."Elpis said.

"Alright, let's split up and look." I said hopefully.

So, we all headed in different directions. I searched the east, Kaelin the south, and Elpis the west. After another thirty minutes, we met back at my house. None of us had found Topaz. The sun had set just minutes ago, leaving us dependant on the moonlight to see by.

"We should call it a night and start looking somewhere else tomorrow." Kaelin said.

"I am getting pretty tired." Elpis whined, "I have been flying all day!"

"I agree. We can rest at my place for the night." I offered.

As we entered my home, we were met with a sight that I had forgotten about until now. It was a complete mess. I wanted to cry, but I held back the tears with all my strength. Then, we began cleaning up the mess. Kaelin straightened the furniture, Elpis used her magic to repair the broken items and I returned the items to their rightful places. Once we were done, it looked like nothing had ever even happened.

"Than you for helping me, guys." I said, "Why don't I make us some supper while you two relax."

Elpis bobbed up and down happily, "Great! I'm starving!"

"I thought you were tired?" Kaelin teased the excited fairy.

"Well, maybe I'm more hungry than I am tired." Elpis bantered back.

"Alright, that's enough you two." I chided from the kitchen. "I only have enough food to make a small pot of soup. Is that okay?"

"That's fine, Stella. Are you sure you don't want help?" Kaelin asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Yes. Just make yourself at home." I replied with a wave of my hand.

Kaelin nodded and joined Elpis in a game of chess while I started the soup. After Elpis won an intense game, I called them into the kitchen to eat.

"Wow, Stella, this is really good." Kaelin complimented as he finished his bowl of soup.

After letting out a loud burp, Elpis agreed, "This is the best food I've ever eaten."

"T-thanks. My mom is a really good cook, so I owe it all to her." I replied with a blush.

After finishing our soup, Elpis called it a night. Which left Kaelin and I alone, and for some reason that made me nervous. I tried busying myself by cleaning up the mess left over from dinner. As I started to wash the dishes, Kaelin walked over to me.

"Let me help. I'll wash and you dry." Kaelin insisted.

"Okay." I said and scooted over to give him room.

For a while, we simply stood there and silently worked away. Then Kaelin broke the silence. "So, where do think we should start looking next?"

"Hmm?" I asked dumbly.

"For Topaz?" Kaelin chuckled.

"Oh, right!" I remembered. I thought for a few minutes before coming to a conclusion. "Well, he might be at Lon Lon Ranch. He really likes it there. It's kind of like his second home."

"Then, we set out for Lon Lon Ranch tomorrow." Kaelin stated with a smile.

After washing the dishes, we headed off to bed. "Good night, Kaelin."

"Good night, Stella." He hesitated at his door before walking over and giving me a light kiss to the forehead. Then, he quickly went to his room, leaving me stunned. I gently touched my forehead where he kissed me and smiled. Not one nightmare plagued my dreams that night.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

The Zora King set upon his ledge in his usual carefree manner while his daughter stood by his side. She chatted with her father as he intently listened to her every word. Before them were the Zoras best guards, ready to protect their beloved king and princess. Ruto finished telling her father of a beautiful pendant she had to have when a loud crack startled them.

The guards immediately went to action and prepared for any threat that may harm their royalty. Ruto cried in surprise as her father pushed her behind him. Footsteps could be heard in the royal hall. One of the guards ran forward to stop whatever was coming. His cries of pain were heard a few seconds later.

"Ruto, run!" the king ordered. The princess stared bewildered at her father for a few seconds before snapping out of it. She quickly ran away into Zora's Fountain where she thought she would be safe. Hiding behind one of the fallen trees, Ruto waited for one of the guards to come retrieve her when it was safe.

Ten minutes passed before Ruto saw a bright flash of light come from Zora's Domain. Suddenly, a chill filled the air and a light fog rolled in. Then, it began to snow which was highly unusual for the Zora's home. Growing impatient and cold, Ruto decided to go back inside.

Ruto treaded carefully inside the tunnel leading into the domain. Her feet made light splashes in the ankle-deep water as she walked. The fog mad it hard to see, but the princess knew her home too well to get lost. Then, her feet landed on a cold and slippery surface. It was ice. That was even more unusual than the falling snow. She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart as she approached the throne room.

The princess noticed a large, red crystal blocking the path to the throne room. Slowly, she touched the object and took a closer look. A loud shriek escaped her mouth as she noticed her father was trapped within the crystal. She stumbled backwards in fright, but was stopped by a solid object.

As soon as she bumped into it, she retracted from it. Whirling around, she saw a male figure within the fog. His eyes gleamed red through the intense fog and a bright light surrounded his hands. He chuckled maniacally before thrusting his hands forward. Ruto gave one more cry before the light consumed her body and trapped her within a red crystal as well.

* * *

_**SailorSunstar:**Thank you for reading chapter nine, guys! I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review. I love hearing your feedback because it helps motivate me to write chapters faster._


	11. Erupting Emotions

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 10: Erupting Emotions**

My eyes fluttered open as the warm sunlight caressed my face. A smile graced my lips while I peeled back the warm blankets from my body. The cool morning air sent goosebumps across my skin. After climbing out of bed, I stretched my stiff muscles and walked to my dresser. Within a few minutes, I was dressed in my everyday attire. Then, heading to the mirror, I brushed my tangled hair until it was silky smooth. I stole one more glance in the mirror before exiting my bedroom. Upon entering the living room, my heart nearly stopped at the sight before my eyes. I couldn't contain the light gasp from escaping my mouth.

My father sat on the couch cleaning one of his own crafted weapons. That alone was questionable enough, since he had disappeared a few days ago. But, what surprised me even more was Kaelin sitting beside him. They were leisurely talking, as if it was the common and everyday occurence. For my father to even be in the same room as a Zora, was a feat in its own. But, to be talking to a Zora was enough to question my own sanity. By this point, they had noticed my presence and gave me loving looks.

"Good morning, honey!" Father greeted me cheerfully. He carefully set his weapon on the coffee table and walked over to hug me. "This fine young man was just telling me that he quite fancies you."

Kaelin nearly fell out of his seat from shock while I groaned from embarrassment. _Wait...he told my father that he likes me?_ I'm sure my face had turned every shade of red. As father chuckled at our reactions, mother poked her head from the kitchen. Things were getting more surprising by the minute._ What the heck is going on here?_

"Harold, stop teasing the two love birds." She scolded father lightly, completely ignoring my shocked expression. "Now, everyone come into the dining area. Breakfast is ready."

"It was all in good fun, Elaine." Father replied as he followed her into the kitchen. "I hope you made plenty of food, darling."

I chuckled at my father's appetite. Before I could follow him, Kaelin's smooth and muscular arms wrapped around my waist from behind me. A shiver ran through my spine when his warm breath tickled my neck. Not wanting to spoil this perfect moment, I leaned into his chest and sighed contentedly. Of course, a moment this perfect couldn't last forever.

"Stella...wake up..."Kaelin whispered into my ear, confusing me.

The room around me began to blur and distort. Eventually, everything faded into blackness. A small light appeared in the distance and grew brighter by the second. As I reached out to touch it, someone else called out to me.

"Stella, get up!" A new voice shouted.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

My eyes flew open at the sound of the new voice. The morning sunlight filtered through my window and into my room. I stifled a yawn as I noticed the other two occupants in the room. Kaelin stood by my bed and Elpis floated by his side. Elpis looked slightly irritated while Kaelin looked happy as usual. I gave them a sheepish smile in return.

"Finally, I thought you were never going to wake up." Elpis exaggerated. "That must have been some dream."

"Uh...sorry." I mumbled embarrassed. "I didn't mean to sleep that long."

"Don't worry about it." Kaelin said softly. "We'll leave so you can get ready now."

"Thanks." I replied. "I won't take long."

After they left my room, I scrambled out of bed quickly. The clock on my bedroom wall read 7:23. I quickly got dressed and joined my friends in the kitchen. Elpis was munching on a small piece of fruit and Kaelin was scrambling eggs on the stove. They each gave me a morning greeting as I entered the room.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took some eggs from the cucoo coop outside." Kaelin wondered. "I'm not as skilled at cooking as you are, but I thought eggs would be easy enough."

I smiled warmly at his gesture, "Of course, it's fine. It's really sweet of you to cook breakfast for us. But, I should be the one cooking since you're the guest."

"It's okay, I really don't mind." He kindly responded with a flushed face. Although, I couldn't tell if it was from the heat of the stove or...

"So, Stella..." Elpis sang from her perch atop the counter. "Where are we headed today?"

"Well, Kaelin and I decided it would be best to head to Lon Lon Ranch next." I filled her in with our discussion last night.

"Sounds good to me." She chimed after I was finished explaining.

"Breakfast is ready!" Kaelin called cheerfully.

I grabbed a few plates from the cabinet and set them at the table. Kaelin followed behind me and scrapped different portions on each plate. Kaelin having the most, Elpis had the smallest, and I had a medium sized portion. We hungrily lapped up every morsel of food and idley talked in between bites. After finishing breakfast, we gathered up our belongings and prepared to leave. A thought struck me as I remembered my dream. Going over to the closet, I pulled out a beautifully crafted sword. The same one that my father had in my dream; it was his pride and joy.

"That's a fine sword you have there." Kaelin admired from over my shoulder. His close proximity caused my heartbeat to quicken, but I didn't mind.

"Thanks," I replied. "My father made this sword. It was very special to him."

"Why is it so special?" Elpis asked.

I smiled at the memory before explaining, "My parents were very much in love before they married, but mother wanted to be sure father could provide for her. So, father being a blacksmith apprentice, started his own shop. After several attempts and working long hours, my father was able to craft this sword. He presented it to mother, along with his shop. She was impressed and accepted his hand in marriage."

"Ah, that is so sweet!" Elpis squealed.

"That was very admirable of your father." Kaelin said as he gave me that same loving look from yesterday. "He must love your mother very much."

"Y-yeah." I stuttered with a light blush dusting my cheeks. "Well we better get going."

With father's sword strapped to my back, we set out for Hyrule Field. Thankfully, no one paid any mind to us. They were all busy working or talking among one another. But, before I could sigh in relief, a loud rumbling shook the ground. People screamed in fright and began running for cover. Kaelin quickly grabbed me and pulled me closer to his side.

"What is making the ground shake like this?" Elpis asked loud enough to hear over the noise.

"Look, the mountain!" I shouted and pointed to Death Mountain. "It's erupting!"

Lava was shooting out of the volcano that was once thought to be dormant. The ring of fire now glowing brighter than ever around the summit. Fear consumed me as I thought of the lava traveling down the mountain and destroying the village. But, what happened next was strange and unexplainable. A magical force sucked up all the lava into the sky and disappeared. The rumbling stopped and the volacano lay dormant once again.

We exchanged bewildered expressions before Elpis spoke up, "That...was...really strange."

"I wonder what made it do that?" Kaelin inquired, still holding me close to him.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like we're safe now." I hinted to Kaelin.

"Oh, s-sorry." He blushed and let go of me. "I-I suppose we should leave now."

I nodded in agreement, ignoring Elpis' snickering, and led the way. Kaelin rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment which only made Elpis laugh out loud. This was going to be a long day.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

After a long walk and a lot of teasing from Elpis, we finally reached Lon Lon Ranch. A smile spread across my face as I took in the familiar scenery and scents. The sound of the horses' pounding hooves echoed throughout the ranch and widened my smile. As we passed the barn, the cows mooed happily. A cluster of clucking cucoos blocked our path into the pasture. Kaelin was too busy taking in the sights to notice and accidentally stepped on one. Big mistake.

Horror consumed me as I noticed the cucoo give a loud cluck. I quickly grabbed Kaelin, who was standing there completely dumbfounded, and dragged him toward the house. Elpis stared at us in confusion before she noticed a large shadow looming over her. Above her was a large swarm of angry cucoos, looking for revenge. Elpis released a shrill cry of terror and zoomed after us. We reached the door just in time to escape the wrath of the cucoos. Once inside, we all collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

"What just happened?!" Elpis cried. "Are those cucoos possessed?"

"Are they always like that, Stella?" Kaelin panted, but froze once he noticed the deadly glare I sent him.

"Never do that again!" I screamed and then added in a low and threatening voice, "...ever."

"O-okay." Kaelin whispered fearfully.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Elpis asked from across the room.

I turned around and noticed her floating above Malon's father, Talon. He was slumped against the wall and silently crying. I ran across the room to inspect the situation.

"Mr. Talon, are you okay?" I asked him softly. "It's me, Stella."

"M-my p-poor l-little..." he hiccupped through the tears, but was unable to finish. He let out a deep, agonizing wail.

"Sir, please calm down." Kaelin knelt by his side and laid a hand on Talon's broad shoulder. "We just want to help, but you need to tell us what's wrong."

He took a deep breath and answered, "It's M-Malon."

My heart froze and my blood ran cold as the words reached my ears. "W-what about Malon?"

"She's...gone...disappeared." Talon whispered in an almost inaudible voice.

But, to me it was as loud as an exploding bomb. I hadn't even realized I was crying until Kaelin was wiping away my tears. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his neck. His fingers brushed through my hair, trying to soothe me. Tears streamed down my face and onto Kaelin's neck. I didn't even care that I broke my promise not to cry anymore. All I could think about was my missing best friend. _This is all my fault._

* * *

**_SailorSunstar: _**_Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review, because I love hearing feedback. From now on, I'm going to include a special thanks in my author's notes for all who review, follow, and favorite. I apologize for not doing it beforehand. So, thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed and/or reviewed since the beginning._

_Special Thanks To:_

**-cookiebabe** _for following this story!  
_**-wall flower**_ for reviewing! I'm sorry my chapters are so short. I always try to write long chapters, but they always end up being short. :/ I will try to write longer chapters in the future._


	12. Desired

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 11: Desired**

Once I had calmed down, I excused myself to take a walk outside alone. Kaelin was reluctant to let me go alone, but he realized I needed some time to myself. He let go of me with one last squeeze of my hand. I told them I wouldn't be long and headed over to the door. I opened the door to be greeted by the crisp night air. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but the moonlight helped guide the way.

I headed for the corral and noticed the silence that hung in the air. It was usually filled with Malon's melodic voice singing her favorite tune. She once told me she came out almost every night and sing to the moon. The song was one her mother had taught her before she passed away. Every time she would hear the melody, it helped ease the aching in her heart.

When she told me all of this, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose my mother. Now I was beginning to understand what she meant. My heart began to ache as well. I shook my head violently to rid the grim thoughts from my mind. There was no need to dwell on such things when my parents were probably still alive.

Instead, I turned my attention to the glowing moon that hung in the starry night sky so elegantly. It was a beautiful sight that served as a great distraction from...well, everything. I fully immersed myself in the shimmering stars and failed to notice the footsteps that were approaching behind me.

I nearly screamed when something soft nuzzled my right arm. Abruptly turning around, I saw that my beloved stallion was standing there. My heart leapt with joy at the sight of him.

"Topaz!" I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. After a few seconds, I let go and led him into the barn to put him in a stall.

"Here we go, boy. Now let me get all of this heavy stuff off you." I quickly began removing all of my belongings and the saddle. Thankfully, all of my stuff was still there and in good condition.

After removing everything, I gave Topaz a quick check over to make sure he was okay. "Well you seem to be well, but I bet your hungry."

Topaz neighed loudly in adamant response, earning a light giggle from me. "I'll be right back with some yummy food."

I spotted the feed box on the far wall of the barn and headed toward it. Grabbing an empty bucket, I began to fill it with feed. The sound of grain hitting metal drowned out the sound of the closing door. Oblivious, I worked on my chore. Once there was enough feed, I lifted the bucket up as I stood and turned around.

My body stiffened as I saw a teenage boy who was about my age, petting Topaz affectionately. He wore a green tunic with white tights underneath and brown boots. Atop his head was a green cap that covered some of his golden blonde hair. He must have felt me staring because he turned to me and smiled. His eyes were as blue as the sky on a sunny day and sparkled with warmth. Speaking of warmth...my cheeks were beginning to burn.

"Uh, hi! I'm Link."he greeted almost shyly and noticed the heavy bucket in my hands. "Would you like some help with that?"

"Oh no, that's okay." I countered, but still shifted the buckets weight. "My name is Stella."

"Nice to meet you, Stella." He beamed a bright smile while he walked over to me. "Here let me take that. I don't mind helping."

I decided it was easier to agree with Link and handed the bucket to him. "Thank you, although, you don't have to do that."

"No problem at all." Link commented. He effortlessly carried the bucket over to the stall and dumped the grain into the trough.

A thought suddenly struck me as I watched him empty the grain from the bucket. His appearance resembled that of the 'fairy boy' that Malon spoke of often. To confirm my suspicions, a blue fairy popped out of his cap. The fairy fluttered around the stall before noticing me.

"Who are you?" She asked impolitely which earned a scolding from Link. "Oh, sorry. I'm Navi, nice to meet you..."

"Stella." I finished her sentence.

She turned away from me, as if she were bored by me, and turned to Link. "Remind me again why we're here. We should be headed to the Water Temple!"

"Well, I just thought...that..." Link stumbled over his words embarrassed.

I was about to leave, since this conversation didn't concern me, but stopped when Navi spoke, "Admit it. You just wanted to see Malon."

"W-what? N-no...I just thought we could rest here for the night." Link tried to reason with the fairy, but he failed to hide the blush on his cheeks.

I smirked at his obvious feelings for my best friend, when I remembered. "You can't see her."

"What do you mean?" Link asked curiously.

"I mean that...she's not here." I struggled to explain as the familiar burning sensation returned in my eyes.

Link studied me for a minute before asking, "Where is she?"

"I..I don't know. Talon said she disappeared." I managed to say.

Link's eyes darkened slightly and responded, "Some one must have taken her. She wouldn't just leave the ranch like that."

I nodded in agreement as I tried to fight the oncoming tears. Link noticed my distress and tried to comfort me, "Hey, don't cry! I'll find her, so don't worry."

He even tried giving me a comforting hug. It was sweet to watch him do this. He seemed so innocent, it was almost cute. But, my heart was already taken so I gently pried his hands off me. His hands rested on my shoulders to make sure I was alright. The door to the barn opened and we turned our heads to see Kaelin walk inside.

"There you...are...Stella." Kaelin's voice faltered when he saw Link's hands on my shoulders.

"Kaelin!" I exclaimed while Link quickly removed his hands. He must have sensed the tension among us, because he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "T-this is Link. Link this is Kaelin."

"Nice to meet you, Kaelin." Link offered his hand to shake with a sheepish smile.

Kaelin glanced at the two of us before shaking his hand and replied stiffly. "Yeah, same here."

"Don't forget about me!" Link's fairy companion complained. "I'm Navi!"

Honestly, I had forgotten about her, but I was more concerned with Kaelin at the moment. He seemed to lighten up as he introduced himself to Navi and talked to her. Link took this opportunity to speak with me

"Did I do something wrong?" Link asked worriedly. The poor guy seemed appalled that he might have upset someone.

"Well...Kaelin and I...we..." I tried my best to explain the situation. I settled on something else. "You know what? Don't worry about him. I'll talk to him later."

"Alright." Link replied defeated.

We then turned back to see Kaelin telling Navi about Elpis. Navi seemed excited to be able to meet another of her kind. Link walked over to join them and I didn't miss the way Kaelin slightly stiffened at his presence. I heaved a sigh and reminded myself to talk to Kaelin later. But right now, I decided to join their conversation.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

Thanks to the stupid cuccoos, I awoke at sunrise the next morning. After a failed attempt to fall back asleep, I rolled out of bed and got dressed. Once I had tamed my bed head, I headed downstairs to the kitchen. My stomach gave a loud growl as I searched through the cabinets for food. Finally, I decided on a few ingredients to make pancakes. I picked up the bag of flour to start with.

"Morning, Stella." A groggy voice startled me.

I jumped slightly at the sudden noise and managed to get flour on my face. Link appeared beside me and chuckled. I sent him a playful glare which made him laugh harder.

"Sorry, Stella." he apologized before grabbing a towel and handing it to me.

"No worries." I muttered through the towel as I wiped my face off. "It was pretty funny."

"Yeah." Link nodded in agreement and pointed at a spot on my face. "You missed a spot."

"Oh. Here?" I asked and rubbed the spot clean.

"No, right here." he pointed again. I wiped my face again, but still failed. "Here, give me the towel. I'll get it."

I handed the towel to Link and he proceeded to wipe the spot clean. The sound of a door slamming startled us suddenly. We turned to the kitchen doorway and saw our fairy friends floating there.

"Oh, good morning, guys!" I greeted cheerfully. Navi greeted me back, but Elpis simply stared at me questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"Umm...well you see...Kaelin kind of saw you guys and stormed off." Elpis explained slowly, making my stomach churn. "I tried to tell him..."

But, her words were lost since I was already out the door. Once outside, I looked in every direction to see where Kaelin might have gone. It didn't take long to spot his silhouette on the horizon. He was standing near the corral, grasping the fence for dear life.

I slowly walked over to him and gently laid my hand on his shaking shoulder, "Kaelin, can we talk?"

He stiffened at my touch, but didn't respond immediately. I was about to speak when he answered. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, Kaelin, there is." I replied softly. "It's about earlier."

"I don't want to hear it, Stella." he said...no, begged. He was still faced away from me and his shoulders were shaking more now.

"You need to hear it, Kaelin." I explained. "It'll clea-"

Finally, Kaelin spun around to face me. But, I wasn't ready for what I was about to see. He...was crying. His eyes held such devastation it broke my heart and his hands were clenched tightly into fists. He quickly looked away from me and at the ground in shame. I wanted to wrap my arms around him right then and protect him from the world.

"I don't think I could bear to hear it, so please don't talk about it." he begged. His face held such heartbreaking emotions that I wanted to cry. He turned away from me again and leaned his forehead against the fence post. "Go ahead. Go back to your prince charming. Your _Hylian_ prince charming."

My heart nearly shattered into a million pieces once he was finished. His voice held such sorrow and he thought that I liked Link that way. My eyes burned from the unshed tears, but i desperately fought them back. I was determined to convince Kaelin that he was the only one I liked.

"Kaelin!" I exclaimed with loud determination. He started at my sudden outburst and faced me. Now that I had his full attention, I was nervous. But, I pushed through and continued. "I do not, nor will I ever like Link that way. He is my friend and nothing more. But, you mean so much more to me than just a friend. I like you just the way you are. You could be a Goron or a Deku scrub and it wouldn't mat-"

Suddenly my speech was interrupted by a pair of lips on mine. A pleasant and overwhelming sensation flooded every nerve in my body. I was too shocked to move as Kaelin wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. My body finally relaxed as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his moist lips against mine. I slowly trailed my hands up his chest and to the back of his neck. Kaelin shuddered at this action, and he deepened the kiss by pulling me closer. I moaned into the kiss and tighten my grip.

"Ahem." a stern voice interrupted our blissful moment.

We pulled away from each other quickly to see Talon standing there with a raised eyebrow. Kaelin and I blushed furiously at being caught. I stuttered an apology before scurrying off, pulling Kaelin along with me. I looked back to see Talon shaking his head and going back to work. My eyes then drifted to Kaelin who was looking dreamily at me. I blushed scarlet, causing him to chuckle lightly. He matched my pace and intertwined our fingers as we walked toward the ranch house.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that." he whispered in my ear sweetly.

"Oh, but I do." I responded with a smirk.

Kaelin pulled me closer to him as we stopped in front of the door. "Then how about we finish what we started."

He leaned down to rest his forehead against mine and I reach up to close the gap between our lips. Our lips reunited once again and the sensation returned just as strong. His arms wrapped around me securely, like he was afraid I might run away. But that was never going to happen, because I was perfectly content right where I was.

The door burst open and a loud voice exploded, "It's about time! I thought you two were never going-"

"Elpis, we should give them some privacy." Link suggested with an apologetic look thrown our way. "Sorry, but I tried to stop her."

"It's okay, besides we need to eat breakfast anyway." I said with just a twinge of annoyance.

"Oh! I finished the pancakes while you were...out." Link explained with a smirk.

"Let's go eat. I'm starving." Navi prattled while Elpis agreed. They flew off into the kitchen with Link right behind them.

Kaelin smiled at me before taking my hand and leading me after them. He never once let go throughout breakfast. We all chatted happily about various things. But, my mind hardly focused on anything besides Kaelin's hand in mine. Right where it should be.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

A sinister man stalked through the dark halls of Hyrule Castle. Irritation emitted from him as he made his way through the dimly lit hallways. The only light sources being torches that hung on the walls. Each flame extinguishing when he stormed by them.

"That stupid farmer girl is no use. I should just get rid of her now and save myself the trouble la-" the man stopped in his tracks and turned to face a Stalfos kneeling on the ground. "Well, what do you want?"

"Sir, we have found the girl." the Stalfos spoke proudly.

"Excellent." the man mulled over the information his soldier proceeded to tell him.

"Would you like a team of soldiers to be sent for her, sir?" the Stalfos questioned his master.

"No! She is mine and no one else will lay a finger on her!" the man fiercely ordered the now frightened soldier. "Is that understood?!"

"Yes, sir!" the Stalfos replied obediently.

"Good. Now get out of my sight." the man spat at his soldier.

The Stalfos disappeared in a cloud of green smoke, leaving his master to mull over the new information given to him. He continued down the hall once more before stopping in front of a huge door.

"You will be mine very soon, Stella." the man thought aloud with a lustful look in his eyes. It was soon replaced with distaste as the door before him opened. "But now, I have other things to deal with."

* * *

**SailorSunstar: **_I'm so sorry for the long wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. I wanted to add some drama in this chapter and I think I accomplished that. A little jealousy, desire, and a confession make everything more interesting. But, I'll let you guys be the judges. What did you think of this chapter? Please leave a review and let me know, good or bad! You will even see your name under the special thanks section below._

_Special Thanks to..._

**cookiebabe **_for leaving a review! I'm glad you like my story so much that your hooked on it. ) I hope you continue to enjoy it!_


	13. Not Alone

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 12: Not Alone**

Later that morning, Talon asked us to help with some of the chores around the ranch. After giving us our designated chores, he disappeared to start on his own work. Which led to me trying to milk a very stubborn cow. Malon made it seem so easy to do when I had watched her do it. But, the case wasn't the same for me as I struggled to get the cow to do its part.

"Come on you stupid cow." I grumbled to the stubborn animal, earning an angry moo. "There has to be an easier way to do this!"

"Actually, there _is_ an easier way." Link's voice startled me.

I twirled around to see the blond boy with an amused expression. My eyes were filled with hope as I asked, "Is there, really?"

"Yeah, would you like me to show you?" Link asked with a small chuckle.

"Yes, please!" I hastily agreed, grabbing his hands in my excitement.

Link laughed nervously and wiggled his hands free from my death grip. Then, he pulled out a beautiful silver instrument from his pocket.

"What's that?" I asked mesmerized, "It's really pretty."

"Thanks, it's an ocarina." Link replied distractedly.

"Okay, but what does it have to do with getting milk from a cow?" I questioned skeptically.

"You'll see." Link chuckled mischievously.

He pressed his lips to the ocarina and placed his fingers over a few of the holes. As he blew into it, a beautiful and familiar tune filled the air. It was Malon's favorite melody that she sang often. After the melody ended, the cow gave a happy moo in return.

"Now, she should be happy enough to give milk." Link explained and placed the ocarina back in his pocket.

"How did you know that would work?" I pried in bewilderment as I went back to my chore.

"Well, Epona loves that song, so I figured the other animals would like it as well." He answered thoughtfully. "Malon told me it's Epona's song."

"Yeah, it's Malon's favorite melody. Her mother taught it to her before she passed away. She liked to sing it when she would miss her mom." I explained sadly, and took a deep breath before continuing, "Then, it became a habit and the animals were happier when she sang. So, she made sure to sing everyday."

Link listened to me intently and sighed heavily once I finished, "I hope she's alright. If anything ever happened to her..."

His fists clenched tightly and his mouth was set in a firm line. I place my own hands on top of his and smiled softly, "She's a very strong person, Link. I'm sure she's fine."

"Thanks, Stella. I'm just so worried about her." he admitted bashfully.

"So am I, Link." I responded sadly, "But, she's not the only one I'm worried about."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, sending me a confused glance.

I explained what happened to my parents and everything else I had been through. By the time I had finished, a large lump had formed in my throat.

"It's going to be okay, Stella." Link assured me while gently grasping my hands. "Besides, you're not alone in this. Kaelin, Elpis, Navi, and I will help you get them back."

"Thanks, Link. I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends." I whispered softly.

"I think we're the lucky ones." Kaelin commented from the doorway.

I turned to face Kaelin with a loving smile which he returned. From behind him, out popped Navi and Elpis. Navi flew over to Link with a stern face.

"Trying to get out of your chores, huh, Link." Navi accused her friend playfully.

"Hey, I've already finished my chores!" Link defended himself.

Elpis giggled at the two and floated to me, "What about you, Stella? Have you actually been working or hiding in here?"

"You guys are so mean. Of course, I've been working!" I huffed back and blew a few strands of hair from my face dramatically.

"Alright, alright. Since we're all done with our chores, what should we do?" Kaelin interrupted.

We all pondered for a few minutes when I spotted my belongings. Everything was placed beside Tpoaz's saddle on the barn floor. My father's sword was carefully propped against the wall. Then, an idea struck me.

"Link, do you have a sword?" I asked him hopefully.

"Yeah," Link replied and patted the hilt of his sword as confirmation. "Why?"

Kaelin caught on to my train of thought and nodded, "That's a great idea."

"What's a great idea?" Link questioned curiously as I grabbed my sword.

"Would you practice with me, Link?" I begged him. My hands grasped my sword tightly in anticipation. "I need to get better if I want to save my parents...and Malon, now."

Link watched me thoughtfully before agreeing, "Okay. I can see this means a lot to you. And, you remind me of myself when I started on my journey."

"Oh, thank you, Link!" I squealed excitedly.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

Link and I had been training for a two hours, now. We were both covered in dirt and sweat. My breathing was becoming shallow, but I tried my best to push through without complaint. My knees wobbled slightly as I got back on my feet. I brought my sword up into a defensive position and readied myself.

Throughout the practice, the others were cheering us on. Of course, Kaelin was the loudest as he cheered me on. It was great motivation, but distracting at the same time. I glanced over at him for a second and was greeted with a wink. My cheeks burned, but I managed a smile in return.

"Focus, Stella. Don't let anything distract you or it could end badly." Link instructed, his sword pointed at me threateningly.

"Uh...right." I muttered, embarrassed by my mistake.

Then, I brought my sword into a fighting position. We both charged at one another and our swords collided with a loud clang. Link quickly overpowered me and pushed me back. I recovered and swiftly rolled behind him. His sword hit the ground where I once stood. I jumped to my feet and slashed my sword at Link's black. But, Link blocked the attack easily. We both lowered our weapons and stepped away from each other.

"Very good, but remember that you have to be faster than that." Link said and sheathed his sword.

Since I was out of breath, I simply nodded in response and sheathed my sword as well. At that moment, my legs decided to give away as my knees met the ground harshly. Link gasped and rushed to my side. Kaelin was soon by my side as well.

"Stella, are you okay?" Kaelin asked worriedly with his hand resting on my back.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." I reassured him. To prove my point, I stood up and walked a few steps. But, my legs began to tremble again causing me to lose my balance. Kaelin quickly caught me before I could hit the ground.

"I'm sorry, Stella. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard." Link apologized guiltily.

"No, Link. I need to be pushed and I insisted that you push me. So, don't feel bad cause it isn't your fault." I told him.

Link sighed, but let it go for the time being. We were interrupted by two frantic fairies that began scolding Link. Kaelin thought it would be a good idea to take our leave now. He gently picked me up bridal style and snuck away from the trio.

"You don't have to carry me, Kaelin." I said with flushed cheeks.

"Because you can walk so well on your own, right?" Kaelin teased, but added softly, "Besides, I don't mind carrying my beautiful princess."

My whole face burned as I stuttered, "K-kaelin...t-that...your too s-sweet."

Kaelin smiled softly at me, but didn't respond. As we entered the house, we were greeted by Talon's loud snoring. Kaelin and I sighed in irritation, but ignored him and went into the living room. Kaelin gently set me on the couch, and left to get a few things to clean me up.

I didn't realize until now, but there were cuts and scrapes all over me. There was also dirt all over my clothes and skin. My hair was probably a mess as well which made me feel worse. I thought about leaving before Kaelin came back. But, just as I stood up, he was back in the room with a few supplies. Quickly, I sat back down on the sofa.

"You weren't going to leave, were you?" Kaelin asked as he set everything on the coffee table. Then, he kneeled on the floor in front of me and started cleaning the dirt away from a cut on my leg.

"No...I was..just.." I trailed off, rubbing my arm nervously while staring at the ground. _Why am I feeling this way? Did he not just call me his beautiful princess?_

Kaelin gently lifted my chin to meet his worried gaze. "What's wrong, Stella?"

"Nothing." I mumbled, avoiding his beautiful eyes. _Don't tell him cause he'll think your stupid._

"You know you can tell me anything." Kaelin assured me while his hand moved from my chin to caress my face.

For a moment, I was distracted by his gentle touch and closed my eyes. I snapped out of it and opened my eyes. He was patiently waiting for an answer.

"It's just that...I look awful." I mumbled the last part, hoping he wouldn't hear. _Why did I tell him?!_

But, of course he did hear it and frowned. His hand dropped from my face, and I instantly missed his warmth. Quickly, he regained his composure and smiled warmly at me.

"Don't ever think such things, Stella. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. Seeing you so determined and training so diligently, that makes you even more beautiful." Kaelin spoke with such emotion.

I was left completely speechless and overcome with emotion. I didn't know what to say, but there was something that I wanted to do. So, I did it.

My lips caught his in a passionate kiss, hoping to relay everything that I was feeling. His lips kissed back earnestly and with just as much emotion. Every nerve in my body was on fire, but it was pleasant. His hands found my waist, but a sharp pain had me pulling back with a yelp.

"I'm so sorry, Stella. I didn't hurt you, did I?" He quickly apologized, searching me for any injury.

"No, you didn't. It must be a bruise from practice." I explained and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

I lifted my shirt to reveal a large bruise on my hip. Kaelin went on full alert and rummaged through the supplies for something to put on it. Finally, he found a bottle of red liquid and poured some of it in his hand. He carefully rubbed it on to the bruise, his touch sent a tingle throughout my body. It hurt at first as the potion took affect, but the pain subsided and the bruise faded.

The door to the house opened with a loud bang causing Kaelin to jump back from me. I quickly pulled my shirt down just before Link walked into the room. He looked quite annoyed. Navi and Elpis flew behind him, both arguing about who knows what. But once Link saw me, a guilty expression replaced his annoyed one. The poor boy was too tender-hearted for his own good.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

I spent the rest of the evening being cared for by two overly worried boys and two annoying fairies. Once supper time came around, I insisted on cooking. There were many objections, but I was quick to quiet them. Now, we were all at the table with a plate of food in front of us. Except for Talon, who ate in his room.

Link was looking a little nervous, so I asked, "What's wrong, Link? Your not eating much. Wait...don't tell me that my cooking is that bad."

"No, no." Link insisted, waving his hands frantically. "It's not that. It's just...Navi and I have to leave pretty soon."

"Don't tell me, Kaelin and Stella are that bad of company." Elpis teased.

"Elpis!" I scolded the pink fairy and turned to Link. "Where are you going?"

"We have to go the Water Temple next, but first we have to stop by Zora's Domain." Link explained.

"The Water Temple is at the bottom of Lake Hylia, and only Zoras can enter it." Kaelin informed him. "Why do you need to go there?"

"Does this have anything to do with Ganondorf?" I asked him anxiously.

Link's eyes widened a bit before he answered, "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Yeah, how _do_ you know about that?" Navi asked in a warning tone.

"You told Malon and she told me." I explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Navi thumped Link on the head before scolding him about his big mouth. They went on for a few more minutes until Kaelin broke it up. We continued eating in silence until I thought of something.

"When do you have to leave?" I asked Link after I swallowed the bite of food in my mouth.

He stared at his plate for a few seconds before answering, "Tomorrow."

"Oh, that's really soon, but what you're doing is really important." I responded, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. "I guess we should be leaving as well, so I can find my parents."

Link gave me a small smile, "Yeah, I'm sure you'll find them soon. And, I'll do all I can to help you. If I see or hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Thanks, Link. That would be a tremendous help." Kaelin replied gratefully.

We all ate the rest of our supper quietly, thinking about what tomorrow may hold for each of us. All of us had our obstacles to overcome, and they were going to be tough. But, we weren't alone; we had our friends by our side. As I looked around the table at my friends, I was filled with a sense of security. _Everything is going to be okay._

* * *

**_SailorSunstar: _**_I hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter. I know it's more of a filler chapter, but I've had some major writer's block for a while now. I don't know how many rough drafts I wrote before I came up with this. Hopefully, the next chapter turns out better. I plan on something big happening pretty soon._

_Special Thanks to: _

**Attackboss6:** _for following me, following this story, and reviewing. You are_ awesome! _I'm so happy that you like my story. The Zoras are one of my favorite LoZ races, and I wish there were more stories about them on this site._  
**Lilitraum:** _for following and PMing me. You're such a sweet person and I can't wait to hear from you again. :D_


	14. Always There

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 13: Always There**

It was an hour after sunrise when we waited for Link to finish packing. He was currently securing the last of his things to Epona's saddle. Epona stood calmly as he did this, occasionally flicking her white tail back and forth. I stood beside Kaelin, lost in thought. Elpis and Navi talked quietly between themselves. Once Link was finished, he turned to us with a faint smile.

"Well, I guess it's time we left, so we can make good time to Zora's Domain." Link muttered while stroking Epona's muzzle.

"Yeah, you don't want to travel through Zora's River at night. It's very dangerous." Kaelin warned the young hero.

"You're right." Link agreed. "I'm sure it's dangerous enough during the day."

Kaelin nodded, "Yes, but you shouldn't have too much trouble. Just stick to the path I told you about."

"Here, Link." I pulled a bottle of Lon Lon milk from my bag and offered it to Link. "Take this just in case."

"Thank you, Stella." Link accepted the milk and stuffed it into his own bag.

Earlier, Talon had given me the bottle for doing such an excellent job at my chores. But, I was sure the Chosen Hero would need it more than me. Link and I exchanged small smiles before he nodded and turned around. I caught him by the back of his tunic and he abruptly turned to me. Before I realized it, I was hugging him. Link was surprised at first, but eventually returned the hug.

"Be careful, Link." I whispered as I pulled away and faced Navi. "Both of you."

Navi brushed past my cheek as she flew over to Link's side. "We'll be just fine, there's no need to worry. After all, Link is the Chosen Hero. He can handle anything."

"I'm sure he can, Navi." Kaelin said, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.

Link scratched the back of his head awkwardly before saying, "Anyway...we should be going. I'm so glad we could meet and become friends. Thank you all for everything you've done."

"That's what friends are for!" Elpis responded cheerfully. "Bye, Link. Bye, Navi!"

Link mounted Epona gracefully and gave us a broad smile, "Bye, guys. I wish you the best of luck on your journey as well."

Kaelin and I waved to him in a silent goodbye. Then, he galloped out of Lon Lon Ranch with Navi leaving a glittering trail behind. Elpis drooped slightly before perking back up just as quick.

"I'm sure we'll see them again, really soon." Elpis assured us happily.

"Right. Now, it's time for us to decide where we need to go next." I said.

Kaelin nodded in agreement and walked back to the ranch house. Elpis and I followed silently while thinking of our next move. Before we could enter the house, Talon came bursting through the door. He mumble something about waking up late before heading into the barn. We all stared at the barn door for a moment before busting out laughing.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

We were gathered at the kitchen table, discussing where we should go next. I grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table and picked at it nervously. Every time one of us would come up with an idea, the others would shoot it down. It was beginning to get very frustrating.

I groaned loudly and slammed my head on the hardwood table. "This isn't working."

"I know this is frustrating, but we need to figure something out by the end of the day." Kaelin reasoned with me.

"I know. I know." I grumbled while I turned my head to face him. My cheek still rested on the table as I gave him a defeated look. He smiled at me softly while gently smoothing my hair back.

"Come on, guys. Can you not focus for even five minutes here?" Elpis complained in her usual loud voice. "Now I know why Madame Sybil wanted me to come. You two would never get anythi-"

"Oh my gosh, that's it!" I exclaimed while I bolted into a sitting position.

"What's _it_?" Elpis asked irritably, since I interrupted her rant.

"Did you think of something, Stella?" Kaelin asked hopefully. He turned in his chair to listen more closely.

"Elpis, remember Madame Sybil's prophecy?" I questioned the pink fairy. "I think it might help point us in the right direction."

"Oh, I remember it alright." Elpis whined. "She made me remember it in case you forgot."  
I pouted slightly at her statement, but decided to ignore it. "I remember it, too. 'Your destiny will be revealed soon, and a mission you shall partake of on the full moon. Loved ones will be in danger and help you will receive from a stranger. But faith you must keep, for your answers lie in the water's deep. There is where your greatest strength lies and a glorious love will arise. Once you have overcome all, then your enemy will fall, for love defeats all'."

"It sounds like we need to go to a large body of water." Elpis said thoughtfully.

I nodded in agreement as Kaelin said, "I can only think of one place where there is a large body of water."

"Lake Hylia." We all answered in unison.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

By the afternoon, Topaz was saddled up and all of our supplies were in order. Talon stood to the side and watched us with a sad expression. I didn't know if he was sad to see us leave because we were friends or good ranch help. There was no telling with that man, but he was trying to do better.

"Well, everything is ready, so we better head out before it gets dark." Kaelin explained.

"Yeah, let's get going." I answered with a forced smile. Everything was becoming real again.

Elpis flew off to the entrance of Lon Lon Ranch and called out, "C'mon slow pokes!"

Kaelin and I exchanged smiles before I mounted Topaz. Kaelin hopped on behind me and placed his hands on my waist. I blushed from the contact, but shook it off immediately. I nudged Topaz into a trot and followed Elpis out of the ranch. We raced each other for a few miles before slowing down.

"How much longer?" Elpis whined a few minutes later. I groaned inwardly, knowing that this wasn't going to be the last time she would ask that.

"Not much longer, Elpis." I replied briskly. "And please, don't ask again."

Surprisingly, she didn't ask again...for the next two minutes.

"Are we there yet?" Elpis whined loudly from beside my ear which was on purpose, no doubt.

"No, Elpis. If we were there, then you would see a big lake filled with crystal blue water." I responded curtly.

"You don't need to be so smart about it." she snipped back.

"I wasn't." I snapped back. "I was just telling yo-"

Kaelin placed his hand over my mouth before I could finish. "Alright you two, that's enough. Elpis, we should be there in an hour or two. Stella, just try to relax because it's a beautiful day."

"Okay, that's better than taking all day." Elpis answered simply.

Kaelin removed his hand from my mouth, and I replied. "You're right, we should even have a picnic when we get to the lake. I packed some food in the satchel, before we left."

"A picnic sounds nice, Stella." Kaelin responded. "That would be perfect on a day like this."

He was right. It was warm, but a nice, cool breeze was blowing so you didn't get too hot. A few clouds dotted the sky, but over all it was a clear day. The grass swayed as a gush of wind blew across the fields. It reminded me of the waves rolling across Lake Hylia. It was a perfect day, but nothing this good could last forever.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

Within an hour and a half, we reached the fences that separated Hyrule Field from Lake Hylia. Kaelin hopped off of Topaz, so he would be able to jump over the fences. Two people would be too much weight for Topaz to even attempt to jump.

"There's another way around the fence, so I'll go that way." he calmly explained. He saw my hesitance but assured, "I'll be fine. Just wait for me on the other side of the fence."

"Alright, but be careful." I begged with pleading eyes.

He nodded and gave me a confident smile before walking away. I backed Topaz up to give us plenty of room to clear the fences. Elpis place herself between his ears before I nudged him into a gallop. We easily soared over the fences and landed gracefully on the other side. Topaz snorted in a proud manner while Elpis and I giggled from the adrenaline rush.

A few minutes later, Kaelin appeared beside us. "Ready to go? I'm looking forward to that picnic."

"Yeah, me too!" Elpis agreed in a loud cheer.

"Alright, it's not too far up ahead." I explained to my companions.

After Kaelin remounted Topaz, we continued along the path. Elpis was jingling a happy tune as we made our way. Kaelin was explaining some of the games that Zoras play. But, just as he was explaining a diving game, a Tektite jumped in front of us.

Topaz reared in fright, sending Kaelin and I crashing on the ground. My elbow jammed harshly into the ground, but I ignored the pain and jumped to my feet. I ran over to topaz and settled him down while grabbing my sword. Kaelin had already weakened the Tektite considerably by the time I got to his side.

As I drew my sword, the Tektite lunged straight at me with a shrill cry. The sound was enough to make me cringe. But, I didn't falter as I slashed my sword at the creäture. It cried in pain and dropped to the ground instantly. I took the opportunity to strike my sword into its back. It disappeared in a puff of smoke after I pulled my sword out of its body.

I sheathed my sword and turned to Kaelin with a proud grin. He returned the gesture and hugged me tightly. Elpis flew over and popped me on the head playfully.

"You did an amazing job, Stella." Kaelin commented before letting me go.

"Oh, come on. You already had it weakened." I replied modestly. "I only finished it off. Anyone could have did that."

"Don't be so modest. Those were some sweet sword moves." Elpis praised. "Well, from what I saw. I was...hiding behind that rock most of the time."

"Thanks, guys." I said sheepishly, but then realized. "Wait, why was there a Tektite here? I've never run into them before."

"That's what I was wondering." Kaelin replied thoughtfully. "We, the Zora warriors, are responsible for keeping Lake Hylia safe from creatures like those."

"Did you think something happened to the other Zora warriors?" Elpis reluctantly asked.

Kaelin sighed and shook his head. "I don't know."

"Maybe something more important came up and they had to leave the lake for a while." I tried to assure him. I gently rubbed his back to help calm him as well.

Kaelin smiled softly at me and nodded. "Maybe. Let's go check things out."

"I'll scout ahead, so we don't have another scare like that." Elpis kindly offered.

"That's a great idea!" I agreed. "Be careful. If you're not back in ten minutes, we're going on ahead."

Elpis nodded and flew ahead to Lake Hylia, a trail of pink sparkles fading behind her. My full attention was now on Kaelin as he paced back and forth worriedly. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him securely. He returned the embrace and placed a light kiss to my forehead.

I smiled warmly at him and said, "Whatever has happened, just know that I will be here for you. _Always_."

"Thank you, Stella." Kaelin wrapped his arms around me tighter. "I will always be here for you as well."

We stood there for a few more minutes, content in each others arms. But, our blissful moment was interrupted by a frantic voice. We pulled out of our embrace to see Elpis returning hurriedly.

"Guys!" she yelled distraught. "You have to come see this!"

Kaelin took off as soon as the words left her mouth. I quickly mounted Topaz and followed after them. It only took a few minutes to reach Lake Hylia, but none of us were prepared for what we saw.

"W-What happened?" I managed to stutter out.

It was gone. Lake Hylia was gone. The water had been completely drained from the lake. Now, the only thing left was a vast emptiness. An emptiness that echoed through our minds and hearts. Kaelin remained completely silent as he observed the sight before us. My heart ached for him, but I knew it was nothing compared to what he was feeling. I wanted to ease his pain, but I didn't know how.I dismounted Topaz and walked to Kaelin's side. As I gazed at the sight before us, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it in comfort. He squeezed back, but barely.

Elpis flew over to us and asked, "How do you think this happened?"

Kaelin took a deep breath and replied, "Someone has blocked the flow of water. How? I don't know, but we need to figure that out. Who? I don't know that either, but they are going to pay dearly."

"Let's take a look around, and see what we can find out." I instructed. "Elpis, you search overhead and keep an eye out for anything that we might miss down here. Kaelin and I will search around here."

"Yes ma'am!" Elpis saluted playfully. "I'll alert you of anything important as quickly as I can."

Elpis then flew toward the sky and scouted around the nonexistent lake. Kaelin searched the west part of the lake while I searched the east. I took my time in checking every part of the terrain as I crossed over the bridge. Those annoying crows squawked loudly from above. I glared up at them, remembering our past encounter, and continued across the bridge. Nothing caught my interest as I reached the end of my route, by the dead tree.

Deciding there was nothing of interest here, I turned on my heels. As I turned to leave, I noticed a platform that I hadn't noticed until now. I walked up to the edge and observed it carefully. In the center was a large emblem that I didn't recognize. Slowly, I brought one foot up and placed it on the metal. Nothing happened, so I set my other foot on the platform. Still, nothing happened.

"Hmm...I wonder what this does or how it even got here." I thought aloud. I was so focused on the platform that I failed to hear the noise from behind me.

"Stella!" Elpis cried out.

The sudden noise startled me and I instantly jumped off the platform...and into someone's arms. At first, I thought it was Kaelin, but their body was too warm. I also noticed the black gloves and sleeves that covered their arms and hands. Their hot breath hit the side of my face as they leaned next to my ear.

"Hello, Stella." the man whispered into my ear seductively.

I screamed loudly and tore away from the creep as quickly as I could. In the process, I had lost my footing and fell roughly onto the ground. With a sharp intake of breath, I quickly stood up and turned around to face the man. He was gone...or so I thought.

His sickly hot breath was hitting the side of my face again as he growled, "That wasn't very nice, sweetheart."

An uncomfortable tingling surged through my body and my stomach churned in disgust. _Who does this guy think he is? _I grabbed the hilt of my sword and twirled around to face the creep. My eyes widened and I immediately unsheathed my sword, pointing it at him in a threatening manner. _If he was responsible for everything that has happened, then I will make sure he pays dearly. Even if you are..._

* * *

**_SailorSunstar: _**_Cliffhanger! Sorry! Please don't kill me. It took forever for my brain to start working, so I could write this chapter. Also, I was working on my other stories. (I haven't posted them yet.) Please forgive me. I hope you enjoyed this long-awaited chapter. Thank you for reading and please leave a review. I love seeing reviews!_

_Special Thanks__ to:_

_-_**Attackboss6 **_for reviewing! Yes, so many races of the Zelda franchise need more love! I also love the sheikah. The undead scare me, but I know they have fans too that would like to see more stories._  
-**Wall flower** _for reviewing! You are too cute and sweet__. I hope this chapter makes you happy too!_  
-**Patchwork Knightess** _for favoriting and following this story!_  
-**Redneck-Siren Krissy** _for favoriting and following this story!_


	15. Redemption and Corruption

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 14: Redemption and Corruption**

My emerald eyes glared fiercely into the flat brown eyes of the man before me. While my eyes held a burning rage, his held a lustful look. I mentally gagged at the thought of him laying a hand on me again.

"Are you behind all of this, Alec?" I demanded, anger laced around every word. I held my sword more firmly to exaggerate my anger.

"Behind what, my dear?" Alec feigned innocence. A smirk was plastered upon his face as he spoke.

"Like you don't know!" I screamed in accusation. My anger was boiling over, and my patience was wearing thin. "Take a look around and you will know what I'm talking about."

His beady eyes flickered to the barren lake bed before impassively answering, "Oh, you're referring to this wasteland. Why yes, I suppose I may have caused this."

"But, the Zoras need the water of this lake to survive!" I pleaded with him. I thought of Kaelin and all of the other Zoras that I had met. My anger quickly dissolved into concern. They were a strong race, but even they wouldn't be able to handle this.

"That matters not to me. Besides, they no longer have needs." he smirked. His eyes never leaving my face as he observed my reaction.

My eyes widened in fear, not for myself, but for the Zoras. I swallowed the lump in my throat and hoarsely whispered, "W-What do you mean?"

"I used a spell to freeze them beneath the water's surface of their pathetic home. They flopped around like fish out of water as they tried to stop me. It was admirable, but they were so easily overtaken it was shameful." Alec snickered, his eyes slightly darkened as he explained.

"You are a vile man! I can't believe you would do something so ruthless and cruel." I cried out in rage. I knew this man was deranged, but I had no clue he was capable of something like this. "Why are you doing all of this?"

In the blink of an eye, my sword was knocked from my hand. It landed on the ground a few feet away. Before I could even think to get it, Alec was standing mere inches from my face. His hand caught my waist before pulling me against his body. His other hand reached up to my face, to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. Then, he leaned next to my face, right next to my ear.

"I'm doing all of this for you, sweetheart. _All_ of this has been for you. I couldn't have those pesky fish getting in our way, so I had to get rid of them all." he breathed into my ear huskily.

My body unconsciously shivered in revulsion at his hot breath against my skin. Unfortunately, Alec took it as a sign of pleasure. He groaned in satisfaction as I mentally scolded myself. I desperately tried to shove him away from me, but he wouldn't budge. He chuckled darkly in my ear before forcing my face closer to his.

"Get away from me! Stop!" I protested, tears burning and threatening to spill from my eyes. I refused to give him that satisfaction, so I stubbornly blinked them away. _I wish Kaelin was here._

"Relax, you're going to enjoy this." he growled in a low voice. Now, his lips were mere centimeters from mine. A small whimper escaped from my throat, and I braced myself for the violation.

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Kaelin shouted from behind us.

Alec growled in annoyance and pulled away from me roughly. He spun around to face the enraged Zora, his spear ready to strike. Alec scoffed at the sight of him, as if he were nothing more than a pesky bug. My heart skipped a beat as I observed the two men. Kaelin stood tall and strong, ready to protect me no matter the consequence. I blushed at the thought and sent a loving smile his way. He winked at me before pointing his spear at Alec's chest.

I glanced at my sword that lay on the ground just out of my reach, and then at Alec's hand wrapped around my wrist. Pain shot through my wrist as I tried to free it from his grasp. I failed to stifle a hiss of pain from escaping my lips. Kaelin glanced at me with worry. He noticed Alec's hold on me and his expression darkened.

"I thought I told you to get your filthy hands off of her!" Kaelin repeated with more malice this time.

Alec ignore his demand and raised a brow, "I thought I rid this land of your kind. Well, save for that contemptuous princess."

"What are you talking about?" Kaelin asked with caution. I noticed the brief concern flash across his face before he masked it with a firm expression.

"As I was telling Stella, they've been frozen beneath their own means of survival." Alec proclaimed with his head held high.

For further irritation, Alec roughly tugged me into him and pressed his lips firmly to mine. I grunted from the sudden contact, but pressed my lips firmly together, in case he got bold. Kealin snarled loudly and jabbed his spear into Alec's side. Before it could make contact with his body, Alec broke away from the kiss and shoved me in front of him. Immediately, Kaelin froze in place with his spear mere inches from my throat. I suppressed a gasp and chose to glare back at Alec. Kaelin quickly drew his spear back and glared at my imprisoner as well.

"So, the pesky fish has feelings for _my_ Stella." Alec hummed aloud. He peered down at me to examine the emotions on my face. My face flushed and he scowled at Kaelin. "You dare try to claim her when she is _mine_!

"I'm not yours! Now let go!" I demanded while trying to pry his hands from my shoulders.

Alec chuckled at my clumsy attempts to gain freedom. Suddenly, his head jerked forward and he released his hold on me. I stumbled for a bit before quickly grabbing my sword. After obtaining my weapon, I scurried over to Kaelin's side. Since there were more important matters at hand, we hugged for only a brief moment. Returning our attention to the present threat, we noticed a recognizable pink orb of light pop out from behind Alec's head.

"Take that you disgusting and perverted man!" Elpis shrieked vehemently. "Stay away from Stella!"

"Elpis, get away from him!" I begged the angered fairy. "He's dangerous."

"Insolent fairy, you've gotten in my way for the last time!" Alec roared as a dark aura surrounded him.

A strange energy filled the air rapidly and zapped each of us. The force threw us backwards and close to the edge of the inlet. A sharp pain jolted from my arm, causing me to whimper. Kaelin groaned in pain while slowly rising to his hands and knees. Elpis lie a few feet away from us, unmoving. Her tiny body wasn't able handle the magic like our bigger bodies could.

Another loud roar came from Alec, as he made his way over to us. A dark and sinister look filled his eyes. A smirk was set firmly on his lips. His stride was slow and aggressive. The air around him crackled to life and the ground shook. The amount of power coming from this man as overwhelming and spine-chilling.

"How in Hyrule did you get this powerful?" I breathed rabidly.

He paused in his stride to answer, "From the almighty Ganondorf, of course. He promised me power in turn for my servitude."

"Why would you sell yourself to the devil like that?" I asked him desperately. "You couldn't possible think that it would gain my love. I don't care about power."

He laughed maniacally, "Dear Stella, I don't want your love. I just want _you._ It matters not if you love me or if you hate me. As long as I _have _you."

"You will never lay a hand on her, you filth!" Kaelin spoke confidently, rising to his feet with his spear in hand. "I will protect her with my life."

"Kaelin, don't provoke him!" I warned him, fear gripping at my heart.

"Very well. Your life it shall be then." Alec agreed apathetically, stretching his hand toward the Zora warrior.

"No, don't hurt him, please!" I begged the villainous man. "Please...don't hurt them anymore."

Alec halted in his actions and observed my feeble state. A glint of amusement flashed through his eyes as he lowered his hand. His posture turned from powerful to arrogant as he walked over to me.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Kaelin implored as he ran straight at Alec.

His spear was held firmly in his hand, ready to tear Alec apart. With a flick of his wrist, Alec cast a spell to magically bind Kaelin in place. Kaelin fiercely fought against the invisible binds that rooted him to the spot. Alec dismissed the Zora with a grunt and sauntered over to me.

"You will be mine Stella, and no one can get in my way now." Alec guaranteed in a salacious way.

Inwardly, I gagged at his meaning and determinedly reached for my sword. An agonizing pain shot through my arm and I cried in pain. Alec frowned slightly before reaching for my good arm. He harshly dragged me to my feet and grinned suggestively at me.

Then, a movement caught mine and Kaelin's attention. A blue light descended from the sky and landed on the platform behind Alec. As it dispersed, a figure appeared clad in green with a blue fairy by his side. When Link noticed the situation before him, he silently unsheathed his sword. He quietly made his way behind Alec.

Noticing my intense gaze, Alec rose his brow at me suspiciously. I snapped my gaze back to him and swallowed nervously. His hand caressed my cheek, and my face contorted with disgust. _Hurry up, Link! Only Kaelin should be touching me like this._ I glanced over to my companion, who was gritting his teeth with hatred burning in his eyes. Link motioned for me to remain quiet as he raised his sword. I squeezed my eyes shut as he brought his sword down upon Alec's head. A loud thud could be heard before his hand left my face.

I released a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. Kaelin ran to my side so fast, I barely registered he was beside me. Until, his arms were wrapped around me securely as carefully avoided my hurt arm. I nestled my face into his shoulder and inhaled his comforting scent.

"I'm sorry, Stella." Kaelin apologized in an agonized voice. "I can't believe I let that filth lay a hand on you. If Link hadn't shown up...he would've-"

"I'm okay, Kaelin. He was too powerful. If you trued to stop him, then you would be..." I trailed off as I thought what might have happened. "Link came and all is well now. There's no need to worry, now."

"You're right, but what are we going to do with him?" Kaelin glanced at the unconscious and powerful man. "He won't be out for long."

"Maybe Link will have an idea. I need to thank him, too." I pondered looked around and saw Link and Navi were hovering beside Elpis as she struggled to get up. "Elpis!"

Kaelin and I rushed over to their side. Elpis clumsily got to her feet and gave us a lazy smile. Then, she carefully fluttered her wings to check them. Thankfully, her wings didn't sustain any damage. She floated around us to strengthen her wings.

She then turned to me with a perturbed expression, "That is the last time that I am helping you get away from that wacko!"

"Whatever you say, Elpis." I giggled, but turned serious. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Elpis smiled in return as Link asked, "So...what exactly happened while I was gone?"

"Yeah, we're not even gone a whole day and you're already getting into trouble." Navi teased with a light bonk to our heads.

"Well, after you left the ranch..." I continued to explain everything that happened. I started from the time they left and ended right before they appeared here. Both of them listened intently to every word. They were astonished to hear that Alec was working for Ganondorf, and agreed to help us get rid of him. Of course, I also had to tell them who Alec was and how I knew him. Let's just say Kaelin was none too happy to hear this wasn't the first time he has harassed me.

"We should rip him to shreds right now!" Kaelin yelled enraged. Link had to physically restrain the Zora himself since he was beyond reasoning.

"Even unconscious, he's still too powerful." Navi explained. "Dark magic is still surrounding him. We don't have the strength or the weapons to get rid of him right now. Before, Link was just lucky because...he was distracted."

"Fine." Kaelin mumbled begrudgingly. "Let's get out of here before I change my mind."

I laid a hand on his shoulder in hopes to calm him. He let out a heavy sigh before turning to me with a small smile. I pecked him on the cheek and rose to my feet quickly. But, the sudden movement upset my damaged arm. I gently grabbed it and hissed in pain. Everyone took turns making sure I was okay, and the pain slowly subsided.

Link observed my arm carefully and concluded, "I don't think it's broken, so a potion should fix it."

Link pulled out a red potion from his bag and handed it to me. "Thanks, Link. I didn't know you were good with injuries. But, I suppose you have to be."

"Yeah, when you're the Chosen Hero it's important to know how to take care of injuries. Not many doctors live in a forest or volcano." he said sheepishly as I drank the bitter liquid.

"Alright, already. Let's get going before the wacko decides to wake up." Elpis whispered eerily. "I do _not _want to get zapped again."

We chuckled at her and headed toward the bridge. I took one last look at Alec before following after my friends. They continued to chatter away happily as I was lost in thought. _Mother, Father, Malon, and now the Zoras. How many more people would be hurt because of me? Even with my friends by my side, how could I possibly defeat this magnitude of evil?_

* * *

**_SailorSunstar: _**_Can you believe it? I updated twice in one week (Thanks to Spring Break)! __I hope this chapter wasn't too much of a disappointment to some of you. I had planned Alec being the bad guy from the beginning. But, if you still want to see Dark Link just leave a review and let me know. I think I'll be able to squeeze him in. Also, I got a little crazy with the suggestive remarks. Sorry about that, but that's Alec's personality. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review (good or bad). Thank you for reading!_

_Also, I have posted another story, The World of Final Fantasy. It's a series of one shots including different Final Fantasy guys. Only one of the one shots is posted, but more will come over time. Please check it out if you haven't already and leave a review._

_Special Thanks to:_

**-Katia0203 **_for reviewing! No Dark, sorry. If you do want to see him just let me know in a review._  
**-Ginga no Yousei** _for_ _reviewing! Nope again...sorry. Let me know in a review if you want to see him._  
**-KeakaSenka** _for favoriting and following this_ story!  
**-LadyAmazon **_for favoriting and following this_ story!  
**-SilverGlasswork** _ for following this story!_


	16. Crazy or Mad?

**Against All Tides**

**Chapter 15: Crazy or Mad?**

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, alerting us of an approaching storm. Thunder rumbled loudly afterwards, prompting us to seek shelter from a nearby building. It was a fairly plain building, nestled beside the lake. The building had always been there, but I had never bothered to check it out. Malon once told me that a mad scientist lived there and he liked to experiment on people. I didn't believe her, but I didn't take any chances to find out the truth. But as Link opened the door, I realised the truth would be revealed at this very moment.

The door creaked loudly as Link opened it for us to enter. Kaelin, being the gentleman he is, gestured for me to enter before him. I swallowed thickly before slowly entering the building. The inside was fairly simple with stone walls and floors. On the opposite side of the room, there was a big pool. As I turned to my right, I came face to face with a frozen Octorock inside a large aquarium. I immediately scooted away from it and turned around. Then, I noticed a short, old man standing behind a desk. The desk was littered with bottles of various shapes that were filled with liquids of different colors. There were also several instruments strewn about the desk. _What would he need all those sharp tools for? Maybe Malon was right!_

Before I could make a quick escape, Link approached the man and cheerfully greeted him. "Hello, *Dr. Mizumi. How is your research going?"

The old man perked up at the sound of Link's voice and turned around. Apparently, he was hard of hearing and hadn't noticed us yet. The man appeared to be quite old with a hollow face, long chin and white hair. His blue and white robes were worn and stained. But, despite all that, a toothy smile appeared on his face as he spoke, "Link, my boy. It's good to see you again. Research is going slowly, but that's to be - Oh! I see you brought some friends."

Link nodded before gesturing to each of us as he introduced us. "This is Stella, Elpis and Kaelin. They're good friends of -"

Before he could finish, Dr. Mizumi quickly shuffled past Link and right up to Kaelin. "Fascinating! I've never seen a Zora up close like this. I'll have to record this immediately."

Dr. Mizumi shuffled back to his desk and pulled out a worn, leather notebook. He took out a pen and began scribbling words across the paper. Kaelin stared at the doctor with a bewildered expression before shaking his head in disbelief. The doctors actions seemed a bit odd to me as well.

"Don't worry, he's always like that." Link reassured the confused Zora warrior before turning to the doctor. "Do you mind if we stay here a while, Dr. Mizumi?"

The old man merely grunted in confirmation.

"Thanks. It'll just be until the storm passes over." Link added. That seemed to catch the doctors attention, since he looked up from his book.

"I'm sorry to say this, but the storm isn't going to pass any time soon." Dr. Mizumi informed us in a serious tone.

"What do you mean?" Elpis asked in a shrill voice.

Kaelin stepped forward and asked, "This isn't a normal storm, is it?"

"No, it isn't." Dr. Mizumi set his pen down before continuing. "This storm is a result of the curse that was cast upon the lake. It will not cease until the curse is broken."

"Then, it's simple." Navi stated with confidence.

"We break the curse." Link finished with absolute determination.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" I inquired with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm sure it's not as simple as you make it sound." Kaelin expressed his own doubts.

Link and Navi sighed heavily. Then, Link answered. "Before we came here. We were headed to the Water Temple. A friend said that we needed to defeat the evil inside of the temple to break the curse. So, all we have to do is find the temple and defeat the monster inside of it."

It sounded simple enough, but the thought of facing an evil monster was scary. Then, I realised that Link was used to this. Fighting monsters and facing evil was an everyday thing for him. So, to him it _was_ simple. But, I thought of Alec and what he had done to the Zora's home. He must be the evil that Link would have to face. There was no way I was going to let Link take care of something that was my fault.

"Then, I'll help you!" I decided aloud. This aroused several surprised responses from my friends. All at the same time.

"Are you crazy?" Navi questioned my sanity.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Stella." Link advised in a worried tone.

"Here we go again." Elpis stated in exasperation.

"No way, it's too dangerous!" Kaelin shouted above the others.

"Calm down, guys." I defended myself with raised hands. "I know I'm not the best swordsman, but I've given it my all since the beginning. This is something that I need to do. Please let me do this."

Everyone was silent as they contemplated over my words. Link looked like a hurt puppy with an overly worried look in his eyes. It was kind of hard to tell what Navi and Elpis were thinking. Fairies were great at hiding their emotions when they tried. But, Kaelin was a different story. As our eyes connected, I saw anger, worry, fear and...love? Whatever it was, it was strong, raw and overwhelming. I broke eye contact with him and took a deep breath.

Then, Navi broke the silence with her high-pitched voice. "Why don't we think about this overnight? Alec is still out there, so we should wait until tomorrow to head to the temple anyway."

"Good idea, Navi." Link praised his companion. He then turned to the doctor who was silently watching this whole time. "Do you mind if we stay the night, Dr. Mizumi?"

"Not at all, my boy." Dr. Mizumi responded. "You're in luck, too. I'm having my special for supper tonight!"

We all exchanged nervous glances before Elpis boldly asked, "What exactly is your speciality, doctor?"

"Fried Tektite eyeballs!" Dr. Mizumi proclaimed with enthusiasm. This caused the exact opposite reaction from our group as a series of groans echoed around the large room.

**OoTOoTOoTOoTOoT**

"Hey, Link." I said, trying to get the young hero's attention. "Can I ask you something?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he answered, "Sorry, Stella, but I'm going to need some more time to think about it."

"Hmm?" I was confused at first, but then remembered what he was talking about. "Oh, no. It's not about that."

"Oh, okay. What did you need?" He asked, more cheerfully this time.

"I was wondering if you would help me train some more." I admitted with a little hope shining in my eyes.

"Sure! It's always good to have a training partner." Link nodded with a bright smile. I was about to thank Link when he added, "But, let's take it easy this time."

I blushed at the memory of our previous training and agreed. "Right! Thank you, Link."

A few minutes later, Link and I stood a few feet away from each other. Our weapons were drawn. Kaelin, Elpis, Navi and even Dr. Mizumi stood nearby to watch our training session. Link went over the basics at first, just for a reminder. I had learned all the basics to perfection, thanks to my father. What I lacked was the skill to actually duel a worthy opponent. Thanks to Link, I would be improving in that area.

Once Link was finished with the basics, he instructed us to raise our swords. My body slightly trembled in anticipation, but I quickly shook it off. Link and I locked gazes for a minute in silent confirmation that we were ready. With a small nod from Link, we charged forward and met with a loud clash of metal. The sound continued to echo throughout the room as our swords repeatedly struck each other.

After two hours of practice, we decided to call it a night. Dr. Mizumi gave us several blankets to use for bedding before he retired to his own bed. We laid side by side with a few feet between each of us. We each used a blanket to sleep on and one to cover up with. With the exception of Navi and Elpis, since they decided to use Link's discarded cap as a bed.

As everyone else drifted to sleep, I laid awake. My body ached for sleep, yet my mind ran wild with thoughts. I continued to think about my decision to go with Link for what seemed like hours. The others immediately shot down my idea, but this was something I had to do. And I had to make them see that.

I exhaled a deep sigh and rolled on to my side, facing Kaelin's back. A small smile graced my face, but quickly turned into a frown. He was loudest to voice his protest. Out of everyone, I thought he would understand the most. I guess I couldn't blame him. If he was going to do something dangerous, I would be worried too. _Why is worrying so troublesome?! _

"Can't sleep?" Kaelin's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I slightly jumped, since I hadn't heard him turn over.

"Yeah, I guess not." I replied with slight irritation.

"What's wrong?" Kaelin asked as he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

I blushed as his fingers lightly grazed my skin, sending a warm tingling throughout my body. My mind finally came up with a response a few seconds later. "Nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Kaelin asked curiously, his eyes carefully scanned my face.

"Just...stuff." I mumbled while distractedly twirling the blanket with my fingers.

Kaelin sighed and grabbed my hand that was twirling the blanket. He intertwined his fingers with mine before saying, "How many times have we been over this? You can tell me anything, Stella. Now, tell me what's bothering you."

After taking a deep breath, I told him what was on my mind. "I really want to help Link. I feel like this is my fault. After all, Alec was after me. My family, friends and the Zoras were in his way. They never would've gotten hurt if it wasn't for me, so I have to help them."

A few tears had escaped my eyes, but Kaelin was quick to wipe them away. His hand tenderly cupped my cheek as he gazed directly into my eyes with such intensity. "None of this was your fault, Stella. Don't even think for a second that it is. He is an evil man working for Ganondorf and he chose to do all of this. Whatever his intentions were, he is responsible for his own actions. Please, don't blame yourself for his wrong doings."

"Kaelin...thank you. You have an amazing way with words." I breathed. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my heart. At the same time, my heart swelled from an overwhelming emotion. _Could it be...love? _

"So, have I convinced you to stay clear of the temple?" Kaelin asked hopefully. He dropped his hand from my face while he turned on to his back. His hands were now behind his head, propping it up.

"Nope." I said candidly, a frown appearing on my face. I braced myself, expecting an outburst from Kaelin. But, I was quite surprised when he merely sighed loudly. It wasn't an angry sigh, but a defeated one. I turned to see his eyes closed as he spoke.

"Is there anything I can do or say to change your mind?" Kaelin pleaded.

I pretended to give it some thought as I hummed softly before answering, "Sorry, Kaelin, but I need to do this."

"Stella, you're too stubborn for your own good." Kaelin lightly teased. "Alright, but promise me one thing."

"Anything." I whispered sleepily, a yawn soon followed.

"I'm not letting you go without me, so promise that we'll do this together." Kaelin requested in an earnest tone.

I warded off the sleep long enough to answer with a heartfelt response. "I promise to never leave your side."

As sleep enveloped me, I barely registered Kaelin's response while he pulled me into his arms. "Good night, my beautiful princess. I promise to never leave you either."

* * *

**_SailorSunstar:_**_A thousand pardons my faithful and forgiving readers. Please don't kill me. I had a lot of family stuff going on, so I had to take a small break. But, I'm back with a new chapter and I hope you enjoyed it! I know it was kind of boring, but the next chapter will be more exciting. I will try my best to have it up next week. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought...or just to say hi. That's cool too._

_*Fun fact: Dr. Mizumi was the name given to the scientist in the manga._

_Special Thanks to:_

**- anon reviewer **_for reviewing. _Now you have me overwhelmed with happiness! I hope it was a good surprise.  
**- KeakaSenka** _for reviewing._ Thank you and sorry for the wait._  
_**- Redneck-Siren Krissy **_for reviewing. _I'm glad you like it, and the wait is finally over.  
_**- **_**ILoveLoveRomance** _for_ _reviewing. _Hope you enjoyed the new chapter.  
**- Guest** _for_ reviewing. Thank you for the superb rating!  
**- KawaiiKiwiPlumhotmail com**_for favoriting this_ story.  
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**- D4rkph34r **_for favoriting this story and following this story & me._

_Thank you all for the amazing reviews! I'm extremely grateful to have such sweet and loyal readers._


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